Reverie
by x0SilverFeathersx0
Summary: Bite-sized Kagome-centric drabbles extending far and wide in scope.
1. i — permanence

Tiny, itty bitty bite-sized drabbles for your viewing pleasure (and for the purpose of my own writing exercises). Updates won't be frequent as college has started for me and I lack the leeway to dabble in fanfiction on anything other than the sparse weekends. For anticipating fans, look forward to the oncoming chapters of _Little Match Girl _and possibly _Chocolate Truffles _(Itachi) later on this afternoon. _  
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**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

i — permanence

"You haven't aged a day since the last I've seen you," he pointed out with unveiled interest.

Kagome's brows furrowed together as she scrutinized him through wary eyes. "Neither have you…"

In a slow, gradual motion Sasori's lips quirked up in a pleased, subtle smile.

.

.

.

"_Beautiful_," was the conclusion he made at last under his breath.

* * *

><p><em>Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time.<em>

—Albert Camus

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Got requests? Feel free to send me a _shitload_ of them so I can have more prompts to practice with. Any character(s), any theme; romance, friendship, tragedy, whatever! **  
><strong>


	2. ii — fidelity

This segment is dedicated to Full Moon Howl (and hey, thanks for being the first reviewer, ha!). Next character in line is her other request, Utakata. _  
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**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

ii — fidelity

"I do not wish to raise my weapon against another of the Mist," murmured Yagura. He placed a pale hand against the glass wall of his office, overlooking the village that was under his jurisdiction. "Why is it Momochi cannot understand…? My methods are fully intentioned for the best."

"He's blinded by bitterness and his hatred for the system, Mizukage-sama."

Yagura turned to regard the one who had spoken to him. "Even so," he said with a disheartening note, "it saddens me… the prospect of his blood staining my hands."

The woman removed her animal-featured mask from her face, still lowered to the tiled floor on one knee out of reverence for her kind-hearted leader.

"I will relieve you of that burden, Yagura-sama," she soothed with a promising smile, her eyes earnest as she met his gaze. "Momochi Zabuza won't come anywhere near you. I'll make certain of it."

His expression softened.

"Thank you, Kagome."

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><p><em>A person who deserves my loyalty receives it. <em>

—Joyce Maynard

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Got requests? Feel free to send me a _shitload_ of them so I can have more prompts to practice with. Any character(s), any theme; romance, friendship, tragedy, whatever! **  
><strong>


	3. iii — perspective

Getting AnimeFreakAmanda's Deidara request out of the way before I move on to Utakata!_  
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**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

iii — perspective

"My art… is a bang, un!"

"Yeah right. That's not real art."

Preteen Deidara whirled his head around to the source of the voice, azure eye astute and sharp. "…_Higurashi_."

There was no one else (foolish enough) in the entirety of Iwa that would so impertinently denounce his art in public.

"Art is something that moves people's hearts—not _blows them to pieces_," she carried on brusquely, fists on her hips as she glared at him with distaste.

Deidara rounded on her, tossing his newest masterpiece up and down in the palm of his hand. He eyed the medic-in-training critically.

Suddenly he smirked, and gripped hard onto his miniature clay model.

"Oi… How about I blow _you _to pieces?"

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><p><em>An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one. <em>

—Charles Horton Cooley

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Got requests? Feel free to send me a _shitload_ of them so I can have more prompts to practice with. Any character(s), any theme; romance, friendship, tragedy, whatever! **  
><strong>


	4. iv — tender

Here is Shisui for winter winds and Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami! Thank you everyone for your Reviews, Favorites, and Alerts; you are all too generous._  
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**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

iv — tender

"Shisui… this is a little sudden, don't you think?" Kagome blinked obtusely at the bouquet of flowers hovering under her nose.

"Really? I think they're perfect for the occasion."

"_Occasion_?" She switched her gaze up to the young man with dark curly hair, perplexed.

He clucked his tongue in concern. "You poor thing, you've been overworking yourself again haven't you?"

"Maybe a bit," she admitted sheepishly, raising a hand to scratch the side of her head. "There's just been so many orders coming in to the store lately and—"

"Oh, before I forget—_your second gift_."

Kagome didn't know what to think or do other than stop breathing when she saw his face nearing hers, and when he swiftly pecked her lips with his, using that accursed _ninja speed _of his.

Pulling a meager few inches away, Shisui stared into her dazed eyes and breathed, "Happy birthday, Kagome…"

* * *

><p><em>A kiss is a rosy dot over the 'i' of loving.<em>

—Cyrano de Bergerac

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Got requests? Feel free to send me a _shitload_ of them so I can have more prompts to practice with. Any character(s), any theme; romance, friendship, tragedy, whatever! **  
><strong>


	5. v — playtime

Another one for Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami (I'll be sure to use your quote in an upcoming chapter, by the way!) and winter winds. _  
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**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

v — playtime

"This is Sesshoumaru," said Kagome enthusiastically, gesturing to the sizable white canine at her side. The awe-inspiring creature narrowed its crimson eyes at the other, slightly smaller nin-dog, adopting a more dignified stature with the clear aim to intimidate.

"Yeah? That's a pretty cool name. My boy's called Akamaru!" Kiba declared, the pride in his voice evident; his grown furry companion barked in excitement.

Sesshoumaru snorted audibly, unimpressed by the rambunctious duo.

Kagome stole a glance off her partner from the corner of her eye, and winked at him. _Just try to bare with it a bit, okay? _

"Kiba-kun," she began amicably, turning back to the Leaf-nin, "would you like to share a lunch with me before your team starts back to Konoha? There's so much I've always wanted to know about the Inuzuka clan!" Her hands were clasped before her as she leaned in to the male, a charming smile on her face.

Grinning self-consciously with a hand on the back of his head, Kiba tentatively replied, "Well, I don't see how that could hurt—"

"Great!" Kagome exclaimed, making a grab for his arm and pulling him in the direction of her village's best eatery.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and sighed wearily, lowering his muzzle. Then his nose twitched, and he snapped back up to see Akamaru sitting on his haunches before him, tongue lolling out.

_Make yourself scarce, mutt, before this Sesshoumaru lops your head off your shoulders_, he growled warningly.

In (wet) response, Akamaru cheerfully licked his nose. _Hi there, Sesshoumaru-kun!_

* * *

><p><em>God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. <em>

—Voltaire

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Got requests? Feel free to send me a _shitload_ of them so I can have more prompts to practice with. Any character(s), any theme; romance, friendship, tragedy, whatever! **  
><strong>


	6. vi — epiphany

Kakashi for Thyme Spirit (and pretty much everyone else)._  
><em>

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

vi — epiphany

"I'm a bit bored here, if you couldn't tell," Kagome deadpanned, feeling the blood rush to her brain. She was lying supine and sprawled freely on the top of her boyfriend's mattress, head hanging over the edge.

An upside-down Kakashi holding onto the latest edition of the _Icha Icha _series filled her view, and the silver-haired Jounin waved a hand listlessly. "Just a few more pages left."

"That's exactly what you said an _hour _ago," the woman muttered, scrambling up to sit on the bed with a sigh.

"Few more… pages…" droned the distracted shinobi.

_He's so into that disgusting book! _Kagome scowled, chin in her hand as she surveyed the green wall of Kakashi's bedroom. _There's gotta be some way I can…  
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.

.

.

Then it hit her.

A wicked grin, not unlike that of a Cheshire cat's, suffused her face. She fought against the temptation to rub the palms of her hands together to further add onto the effect.

_Perfect! Why hadn't I thought of it before? He'll be in tears once I'm through with him! Oh, Higurashi, you can be so evil sometimes. _

"…few more pages… almost done—"

"_Kakashi_," sang Kagome, moving around slowly to face him. "Guess _what_—"

* * *

><p><em>What, sir, would the people of the earth be without woman? They would be scarce, sir, almighty scarce. <em>

—Mark Twain

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Okay, so now my hands are a bit fuller than before, heh; still, send in whatever you wanna see and I'll hop around things spontaneously!**  
><strong>


	7. vii — companionship

Uchiha Itachi for ShikiKira (and practically everyone else)! For those who asked: I _may_ continue from where "vi _— _epiphany" left off, in the future.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

vii — companionship

"You don't have to do everything by yourself," she murmured into his shoulder.

"No," Itachi dissented, "this burden is mine alone to bear."

Her frail arms encircled him from behind and she pressed her body to his, sharing with him her gracious warmth.

Solemn onyx eyes lowered to the delicate limbs interlocked before his chest.

"You're not alone…"

.

.

.

"Aa," he answered, reaching up to set his hand over hers, "because you are with me, Kagome."

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><p><em>The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. <em>

—Ernest Hemingway

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><p><strong>Author's Note <strong>(8/21/11): I'm hoping to get Naruto, Konan/Pein/Akatsuki member(s), Jiraiya (?), and several others done by today. Thank you for all the support, guys! It really helps. :) **  
><strong>


	8. viii — friend

Mini-Naruto for HalfBlackWolfDemon!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

viii — friend

_The adults told me not to talk to you_, was what the crisp sheet of paper read.

Naruto scowled boyishly, crossing his stubby arms over his chest. "Yeah, well… _what's your deal then_?" His voice had risen to a near-shouting volume by the end of his sentence, and he was well aware, but he could afford no compassion for the girl in front of him when she slightly winced. He definitely was not in the right mood to be played for as a fool by one of the stuck-up village kids.

She glared at him for his offensive outburst (and he was totally fine with that, really, nothing he wasn't used to already), but sighed inaudibly after and went to scribbling on her paper again, using her little hand as a soft surface. The sound of paper cutting through the air was evident seconds later as she keenly flipped her newest message over for him.

_They never said I can't write to you, though. _

Befuddled, the boy blinked vacuously at her scribbled words. "…huh?"

The other child rolled her eyes, and sloppily wrote for him once more, _You can write, can't you? _

Naruto eventually found it in himself to swallow past the nascent lump in his throat, and nodded dumbly.

Smiling, Kagome handed him both her pen and notebook.

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><p><em>A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world. <em>

—Leo Buscaglia

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Hrm… which to do next_. _


	9. ix — fallacies

Will have three (or more, though I doubt it) segments featuring Pein and Konan. Also, for those who are wondering… these quotes find me, not the other way around. :D

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

ix — fallacies

Feeling the sensation of coarse fingers sliding down her cheek, Kagome stirred awake. Her eyes fluttered open, and it was then that she vaguely realized she were leaning her body against that of another's—more solid and masculine.

"…mm?" she hummed groggily.

"Forgive me," spoke an apologetic baritone, "I hadn't meant to disturb your slumber."

Kagome sluggishly raised her chin, and her gaze was reciprocated by the one of disembodied gray eyes.

They evoked a profound visceral effect to surface from within the depths of her subconscious; though strangely, the forlorn impression promptly sank and dispersed again.

It had gone as quick as it came.

Her parched mouth was gaping open, her brain struggling to formulate the coherent string of words she had originally intended for.

"My_ Goddess_," Pein enunciated ruthlessly, clear and unmistakeable, as he fondled her raven hair.

A searing bolt of lightning, terrifying because she could hardly comprehend it in its grave significance, shot through her disoriented mind.

—but all her concerns seemingly vaporized, and the taut coils in her shoulders unwound themselves.

A faraway smile suffused her face and her eyes were glossy as she peered up at the shinobi.

Suddenly she knew him, and adored him. "_Pein_-_sama_…"

.

.

.

Konan watched with a stoic expression from the other end of the dungeon, her concealed hands curling into fists.

_Are you truly content with this, Pein? _

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><p><em>Belief in the absence of illusions is itself an illusion. <em>

—Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Yes, we could say (_hint_!) that there is a 'trigger word' ingrained in Kagome here.


	10. x — devotee

Hidan for winter winds, with a "dialogue only" style that I've been meaning to experiment with for a while. :)

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

x — devotee

"So… you a virgin?"

"What kind of _a_ _question is that_?"

"Yo, lady, don't get your panties all up in a bunch. Just answer my damn question!"

"Well… y-_yeah_, I am… I do work in a shrine as a—_hey, what do you think you're doing_!"

"Oh, I'm taking you to go see Jashin-sama."

"_Put me down, you psycho_!"

"No can do. You're going to be this month's official sacrifice, Ms. I'm-an-oh-so-pure-fucking-priestess."

"_Wha_—INUYASHA!"

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><p><em>From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step. <em>

—Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Gotta love that religious fiend of Akatsuki.


	11. xi — quicksilver

I humbly apologize for my failure to deliver last weekend in regards to _Reverie_. As compensation for my readers, I have over twenty prompts ready to be transcribed and uploaded. :)

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xi — quicksilver

"B-baka!" hissed Karin, thrusting her arm out immediately to the other young girl. "What the hell were you trying to do, get yourself _killed_?"

Kagome bit in to the offered appendage, eyes shut tight and her forehead slick with perspiration. She felt the miraculous chakra that was Karin's enter her body, and mend her internal wounds and pacify her throbbing muscles. The irksome twitching in her legs subsided, and she relinquished the generous portion of flesh from her teeth to fall back onto the browned arid grass.

When Karin spoke up again, her tone was low and lacking its earlier vehemence. "…I bet you actually believe that you're some stupid, invincible hero."

"Dai-jou-bu," Kagome dismissed lightly, opening her eyes at last to see the teary-faced kunoichi glaring at her. "You won't be rid of me anytime soon."

Karin dove forth to envelop the girl in a desperate hug, the tears racing down her cheeks.

"Ne, Karin… I don't think Orochimaru-sama will approve of you going soft…"

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><p><em>I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. <em>

—Dalai Lama

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I don't exactly write… same-gender couplings. My intention is friendship, but I suppose those who want to see fluff, will indeed see it. Next is Uchiha Obito!


	12. xii — bequeath

This could be considered an add-on for _My Courageous Shinobi: From My Silver Platter. _

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xii — bequeath

"Hope, faith, love and luck?"

Kagome nodded fervently, her fists gathered before her chest.

"You sure? This puny thing doesn't seem all that special," said Obito out of pure skepticism, twirling the four-leaf clover between his thumb and forefinger. He raised it up before his eyes, scrutinizing what Kagome had excitedly dubbed as 'the rarest find in the whole world'.

"I'm telling you, it's true!" the raven-haired girl insisted, waving her arms about in frantic emphasis. "You better not throw it away, Obito-kun, or I'll—"

"Then you have it."

Silenced and taken aback, Kagome managed only to shoot the boy an incomprehensible look.

Obito grinned as he extended his hand towards her, his fingers holding onto the elusive four-leaf clover firmly by its stem.

"My hope, faith, love and luck; you keep them safe for me," he supplied good-naturedly. "I'm clumsy, so I'll probably lose them like everything else I own."

Blushing, Kagome awkwardly accepted his proposal—along with the precious green token.

"U-un," she agreed, her eyes riveted to the newfound treasure in her palm. "I—I guess that could work."

Obito smiled down at her.

.

.

.

Kagome would later find that she probably should have at least made Obito keep his luck with him.

* * *

><p><em>All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. <em>

—Winston Churchill

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: D'aww, gotta love Uchiha Obito. Hmm, what character to go with next—Minato, Ni Yugito, Pakkun, Sai?


	13. xiii — investment

Nara Shikamaru!_  
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**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xii — investment

"Yatta!" exulted Kagome, leaping upward for joy. "I won again!"

Asuma arched a curious brow at his defeated (albeit calm) student, and Chouji paused with his hand hovering above his half-finished bag of chips.

"That's _another_ dinner you owe me then, Shikamaru-san!" the raven-haired young woman noted mirthfully, her hands clasped behind her back. She was grinning from ear to ear as she skipped away from the wooden veranda, leaving the three remaining shinobi behind. "I'll be at the usual place by six!" was her chipper call in the distance, before she vanished completely from view.

"Oi, Shikamaru… aren't you getting kinda rusty?" asked Chouji warily, inspecting the shogi board before them. "Even I could've countered her last move."

Shikamaru responded with an insouciant shrug, laying back against the paneled floor with his fingers interlaced behind his head. "Maybe I am."

Blowing out the nebulous smoke of his cigarrette, Asuma knowingly smirked.

_No, Chouji_, he thought to himself in mild amusement, _he just has something else in mind to win other than a board game._

The faint smile tilting Shikamaru's lips attested to that.

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><p><em>A clever man commits no minor blunders. <em>

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Such a sneaky little genius!


	14. xiv — beta

A younger (but still an adult) Jiraiya!_  
><em>

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xiv — beta

"No good, no good," tutted Kagome, readjusting her reading glasses with a single finger. "Sentence fragments littering every other paragraph; the characterization of your leading male is way too overdone and unbelievable; there's a lot of noticeable repetition in your word usage, and—and your sex scenes are just plain _cheesy…_"

With every word she spoke, it felt as though a searing bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens to strike Jiraiya directly in the heart.

"…I'm pretty sure there's a specific term for characters like these. Gary-sue-kun and Mary-sue-chan, I think it were."

_Yowch!_

"Your style of using certain punctuations is really messed up, too."

_Eek!_

"The entire story moves way too fast; you need to slow down and at least let the reader apprehend what's going on. You're hopping all over the place."

_Goodbye, cruel existence! _

Kagome sighed and set down the unedited manuscript before her on the desk. She entwined her fingers and placed them below her chin, spectating as the white-haired male jerked about on her office floor like a dying fish.

"You've got the main concept down, Jiraiya-kun, but you have to be able to execute it better," she offered sympathetically. "Because at this rate, your work may never get published."

Jiraiya drew himself up halfway with difficulty, peeking at the woman over the line of her desk. "Is there any hope left for me, Higurashi-san…?" he inquired mournfully.

Almost like she had been waiting for him to ask, Kagome's lips quirked in an encouraging smile.

"Well, you _are _paying me to be your editor, so I'll have to try my best to help."

.

.

.

Five months later, Jiraiya's _Icha Icha_ _Paradise_ was out on the market and in the nationwide Top 10 Bestseller's List.

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><p><em><em>A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.<em>_

—Thomas Mann

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I particularly love the ending quote in this chapter. I'm sure many authors can relate to it just as well as I do.


	15. xv — spectre

…in a strange dimension where Madara prevailed in his twisted endeavors and more.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xv — spectre

"You couldn't just let me be in peace," nagged Kagome petulantly, surveying the endless sea of human skulls and crimson that extended far into the desolate horizon.

"Would it satisfy you to have Izuna here with us as well?" Madara offered in a pleasant manner, his chin tilted upwards to his resurrected wife.

She sat perched on the armrest of his throne—a pretentious throne wrought out of the bones and flesh of all those whom he had conquered.

A thoughtful expression crossed her face, and the lines of agitation melded back into smooth, (now) ageless skin.

"That… would be nice," she concurred in a softer tone, a finger on her bottom lip.

The corner of Madara's mouth twitched, though whether it did out of delight or jealousy—

—was a mystery.

* * *

><p><em><em>Jealousy contains more of self-love than of love. <em>_

—Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: This could very much be seen as a remote add-on to _My Courageous Shinobi: So Hide Your Eyes_.


	16. xvi — kindness

Chouji for winter winds!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xvi — kindness

Kagome buried her face within her hands, her back hunched over as she sat motionless on the swing.

"Don't cry_… don't _cry…" she whispered repeatedly to herself, though even as she did her breath grew shakier and the coils in her shoulders more taut. "Don't, don't, don't—"

_Munch munch_.

Her body stiffened, and the girl's cognitive processes screeched to a halt.

_Crunch crunch crunch_—as well as the indiscreet crinkling of foil.

She slowly lifted her head from her palms, dewy eyes ablaze with indignation. Who was it that had the _nerve_ to disturb her in so inept an hour?

Akimichi Chouji, her rotund classmate from the ninja academy—that was who.

Kagome straightened her posture when she saw him standing in front of her, holding out his bag of chips.

"What is it, Chouji-san?" she demanded, a mite more emphatically than she would have under normal circumstances.

He regarded her blankly through the slits of his eyes, motioning to his offering. "Eat."

Kagome squinted accusingly at him. "Look, if you're trying to poke fun at me—"

"It'll make you feel better," the boy asserted, nodding. "I promise."

Uncertain, Kagome contemplated her classmate. And then his bag of chips.

She gave in with the aim to humor him.

.

.

.

Those were the best damn chips she ever had; they were so incredibly delicious that she was sobbing as she ate them.

* * *

><p><em><em>Are you eating it? Or is it eating you? <em>_

—Larry Cohen

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Who _doesn't_ love comfort food?


	17. xvii — friend II

A continuation of the Naruto chapter for HalfBlackWolfDemon.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xvii — friend II

"Get the hell away from her, bastards!" Naruto shouted furiously, sprinting towards the group of children.

The mischievous gang of boys that had been tormenting his friend disseminated; all members bounded off in different directions, laughing in boisterous unison as they ran.

"Kagome-chan!" the blond child panted, bent over his knees beside her as he sought to catch his breath. "A-are you okay? I was, I had to—I'm sorry I couldn't get here earlier!"

He raised his head to see her wordlessly descend to the concrete floor. She ran a trembling hand over her demolished notebook and shattered colored pencils.

Oh no… This was his fault, like everything else always was. Those bullies had probably picked on her because of _him_… She—what if she h-hated…

"K-Kagome-chan," said Naruto feebly, his hands curling into anxious fists, "can… can you at least answer me? I'm sorry, I really am…!"

She spun to him with wet, glossy eyes.

Naruto choked up and froze, the sweat on his back underneath his white t-shirt becoming more prominent.

Kagome shook her head.

"W-why?" he croaked, gradually rising up from his position. "I know what the adults said… but can't you at least…?"

The girl placed both her hands around her neck, and opened her mouth.

—not a sound came forth.

She smiled at him sadly.

Naruto's eyes then widened, an impossible realization dawning upon him.

"Kagome-chan… you can't talk?"

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><p><em>Before I speak, I have something important to say.<em>

—Groucho Marx

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Thank you for all the Reviews, Favorites and Alerts. :) Much appreciated. I will write more later tonight!


	18. xviii — fallacies II

For those whom have an interest in reading a Kikyou/Itachi ten-shot drabble series, check out the story (_Bellflower_) uploaded under my secondary pen name: s e r p e r i o r.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xviii — fallacies II: monochrome

Within a field of never-wilting flowers she lay, her eyes glazed and unaware of the world passing her by.

Her senses would forever remain dull after having been subject to Orochimaru's impeccable operation.

She perceived gray and white paper-blossoms as red, blue, yellow and purple—every hue imaginable to eyes fashioned through natural selection.

A perpetual, ignorant smile claimed her lips as a permanent home.

Perhaps the most important thing she had lost was her name; she responded to Goddess, and only Goddess.

_But no_, amended the one regarding her with dutiful amber eyes. _Her name is not the only precious thing she has had stolen from her_.

It was the fire that had burned bright in her heart.

—the fire that had denoted her as Higurashi Ka…

Konan shook her head, trying to rid herself of her disturbing contemplations. She peered down at her open palm, at the small, vile pill present atop it.

Then she approached her goddess in silence; she, a lowly angel.

"It is time for your medicine," enunciated the paper seraph, her grasp firm around the slim glass cup of water.

The apotheosized raven-haired woman's nose was lowered to a mass of gray and white, inhaling deeply.

"They smell so wonderful," she murmured in appreciation, dimissing her angel.

Konan's grip on the cup grew taut. "No," she objected in an impassive tone, "they hold no such fragrance."

"Wonderful, wonderful…" The goddess began rocking back and forth, stressing that haunting word in a tone that was gradually cracking. "…wonderful, wonderful, wonderful—"

The cup descended to shatter upon the ground's impact, its demise resonant in the illuminated chamber.

The pill was wet with water and its shell beginning to dissolve.

"You miserable wretch," whispered Konan as the nameless goddess burst into sudden tears, vacuously repeating _wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful…_

.

.

.

"Even death would be kinder than this," was the angel's sacred verdict, her somber eyes half-hooded.

* * *

><p><em>Illusion is needed to disguise the emptiness within.<em>

_—_Arthur Erickson

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: One more chapter left for this mini-mini-series. I'm thinking of writing about Minato, next.


	19. xix — fallacies III

I rather think this song goes great with the following chapter: www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v(equal sign)c6YWBkhOm7U

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xix — fallacies III: kagome

Swathed completely in faux-silk as a caterpillar prepared to undergo metamorphosis, her goddess wriggled on the petal-dusted floor before her.

Her head, wrapped in grays and whites of salvation, jerked from side to side as she toiled for the air that had abandoned her.

A distorted whine emanated from where her lips were, the sound just barely able to penetrate the dense paper surface.

…and the killing material was plastered most firmly over her nostrils, suffocating her in a slow albeit sure sequence.

She bucked and floundered about, full of _life _and _vigor _and_ fire _at long last regardless of the fact that she were now but an animated body of paper without an ounce of flesh to show.

"Be freed," prompted Konan in a gentle tone. "Escape this prison and remember your name."

Even as her goddess's shrunken frame fell motionless after a final, weak kick the encompassing field of monochrome stirred to life in requiem.

Petals flew and whirled around them both, majestic.

Konan's mouth soon tilted in a subtle smile as she regarded the stilled bundle.

A blossom of felicitation landed over the paper-veiled corpse's forehead, the grand movements within the chamber having subsided and the airborne petals fallen.

"She has been liberated," declared the amber-eyed seraph as she turned to face the man—whom had just arrived—behind her.

Pein's countenance was devoid of any expression. "What have you done, Konan—"

"It should be obvious," she interjected calmly.

Concentric gray eyes remained fastened to her—her, the angel that had conquered his goddess—as she continued:

"I helped her to recall her true name."

* * *

><p><em>We all need a firm sense of identity. <em>

_—_Christopher Eccleston

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I've stumbled upon many different translations for the name _Kagome_, but the one that appealed to me most was "caged bird."


	20. xx — injudicious

An overdue Sai for Speedykitten1643.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xx — injudicious

"This is… a very tastefully drawn blob," Sai uttered in slow syllables as he tilted the paper in his hand to a different angle, his head following in suit.

Brows furrowed and pure disbelief etched into her expression, it took all Kagome had not to scoff in incredulous response. _A blob…! That's what he calls my three hours of nonstop hard work? _

As though to rub salt onto the wound the shinobi nodded in affirmation. "I've never seen anything so simple yet complex. This is rather clever, Kagome-san."

"No, no!" she dissented, flitting over to his side and jabbing at a particular feature of her 'blob'. "This is definitely a rabbit, Sai-kun. Can't you see that these are the _ears_? Why else would they be sticking up like that?"

Sai's lips adopted a speculative line as he took her input into consideration.

"No… I am certain that this is a compelling blob and not a rabbit, Kagome-san."

* * *

><p><em>Art is a step from what is obvious and well-known toward what is arcane and concealed. <em>

_—_Khalil Gibran

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Oh, Sai, you weren't even the one to _draw _that alleged blob.


	21. xxi — challenge

A just-as overdue Neji for BoxingBunny.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxi — challenge

"You're way too uptight all the time."

Neji's brows knitted together in tacit displeasure. "That's a rather preposterous claim, Kagome-san."

"Oh yeah?" she goaded with her hands on her hips, leaning back.

"Yes."

"Prove it, then."

"How would I do such a thing?"

A peculiar smile suffused Kagome's lips. "How about partaking in what I suggested earlier?"

The Hyuuga wrinkled his nose. "Certainly not," he objected.

"Too much honor at risk for you?"

Neji reassumed a solemn expression; he had just about had enough of this young woman and her blatant provocations.

Perhaps it was time to silence her once and for all, teach her not to poke at his dignity.

"Lead the way," he demanded in a firm nonchalant voice.

.

.

.

The two meandered through the overcrowded streets of Konoha to Ichiraku's Ramen Shop, ready to join in on the annual ramen-eating contest.

—never mind the fact that a certain blond Jinchuuriki was everyone's best wager for the likely winner.

('Cause there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that Uzumaki Naruto was going to miss the opportunity of a month's supply of free ramen.)

* * *

><p><em>I look upon pride as a sin. <em>

_—_Tommy Lee Jones

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Heh. Feel free to start sending in requests once again for characters you would enjoy seeing debuted in _Reverie_.


	22. xxii — indulgence

For winter winds and Thyme Spirit!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxii — indulgence

"Whozzagoodboy, _whozzagoodboy_?" chirruped Kagome as she rubbed the canine's sensitive belly.

"Me, me!" the creature verbalized shamelessly, lying supine on the grassy terrain with its tongue lolling out in unadulterated joy.

Kakashi held his head in a hopeless manner. "Kagome, please… Pakkun is not—"

"Oh, loosen up, Kakashi!" the woman admonished, turning her head slightly so as to see the shinobi from the corner of her eye. "Even nin-dog's appreciate a good scratch on their stomach now and then."

"I _concur_," seconded Pakkun, much too enthusiastically.

Kagome spun back to the pudgy dog, grinning. "You're a good boy, yes you are!"

Kakashi sighed a long-suffering sigh.

* * *

><p><em>The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.<em>

_—_Samuel Butler

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Onwards!


	23. xxiii — badger

A quick write on the Nibi's Jinchuuriki.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxiii — badger

Nii Yugito's nose twitched as she was roused from her temporary stay in Morpheus' arms.

She sniffed, and upon realizing what it was tickling at her acute senses snapped open her eyes.

"I told you many times before to stop with this nonsense already," the Jinchuuriki scorned as her hand made for a swift grab at the offensive item hovering over her face.

It jerked nimbly away from her at the last possible moment and the blond shot up from her resting position to whirl on her mischievous afternoon visitor.

Kagome smiled at her with feigned innocence, bobbing the catnip up and down by its stem with her fingers.

"Ne, Yugito-chan, I'm bored. Let's play."

* * *

><p><em>A cat is an example of sophistication minus civilization.<em>

_—_Author Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Well that's another Jinchuuriki down!


	24. xxiv — tender II

Shisui, once again, for Thyme Spirit!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxiv — tender II

"Don't tell me there was a _third _present," an exasperated Kagome yelled as the dark-haired young man led her through the tall grasses.

He wasted no time in the matter, his fingers steadfast over her thin wrist as he guided her across the road-less path under the setting, orange-golden sun's watch.

"Or at least slow down," pleaded the female once she realized he wasn't going to answer her anytime soon. "Not all of us have ninja feet here!"

"Just keep up for a bit longer, Birthday Girl," Shisui quipped, turning back momentarily to smile at her.

"_Fine_," Kagome conceded, though she couldn't resist lifting the elusive corners of her mouth. _I wonder what else he's got up his sleeve?_

.

.

.

"Kagome," began Shisui in a solemn tone as he faced her, his complexion hued a near-indiscernible pink shade. "I…"

She arched a brow at his abnormally coy demeanor, unfamiliar with an Uchiha Shisui that wasn't speaking with total aplomb and ease. "Hai," she urged.

"Well…" he trailed off as he lowered his concentrated gaze.

"Shisui," the young woman deadpanned, "we've been standing in the middle of this forest for about two hours now. What is it?"

He raised up a single finger to her. "Just wait."

"For wh—"

"For the fireflies to come out."

"_Nani_?"

"Their numbers are the most abundant in this approximate area, according to an Aburame." After quick consideration Shisui expanded, "And the lights they exude are especially vibrant."

Kagome cocked her head to the side, her arms folded under her chest. "I don't get it," she intoned with a befuddled expression.

The shinobi sighed and closed his eyes. He proceeded to bring up the knuckles of his fist to his forehead.

"Look," he confessed, "when the scenery is at its best is when I'm going to pop the question and ask you to be my girl. _That's _why we're waiting here for those damned fireflies."

Quietude greeted his ears, then—

"Aren't I—w-well… I'm your girl already, right?" responded Kagome, her candid question sounding innocuous enough.

Shisui opened his eyes to see her sporting a blush much more colorful than his own.

"I mean, if I'm not… then—then what was that _kiss _from earlier for?" she tacked on in a sheepish fashion while twiddling her thumbs behind her back.

It was precisely _then_ that those all-knowing fireflies decided to spring up around and between them.

* * *

><p><em>Just pray for a tough hide and a tender heart. <em>

_—_Ruth Graham

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Ah, sweet young love…


	25. xxv — cheapo

Our beloved money-hoarding Kakuzu! (_Little Match Girl _has just recently been updated, by the way.)

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxv — cheapo

"What is this, a joke?" demanded Kagome—as her nametag read—while she inspected the coin in her upraised palm with a critical gaze.

Kakuzu's viridian orbs gleamed with a nuance of threat as he tugged at his most recent 'purchase'.

She had a firm grip employed on it and wasn't letting go.

"If you know what's good for you, shop girl," he growled from under his mask, "you'll dislodge your hand from this bag."

The young woman, deciding to regard him again, squinted her eyes at him in a dauntless glare.

"I don't care for your threats, buddy. You think I haven't had enough of those already in an unpredictable world like this? You're paying the full amount charged or I'm calling shinobi security."

He was supposed to be laying low amidst this secluded village, it would produce no fruits to draw unnecessary attention to himself now.

"Look here, _Kagome_," he hissed, "I am being rather generous; the price this establishment charges for a simple three pounds of rice is ludicrously exorbitant."

She shot him an incredulous stare. "Are you being serious? What are you, a miser?"

"I don't intend on standing around all afternoon haggling with you, shrew," retorted the ex-Falls ninja cantankerously, "so you either accept this liberal pay, or…" Kakuzu let his words trail off in the hopes of conjuring up a menacing aftereffect.

Kagome's eyes darted ahead to the long line of customers queued up behind the (obviously) penurious man, before settling again on his eccentric features.

"There's just not enough time for this," she said with a tired sigh. "_Security_!"

* * *

><p><em>The point is that you can't be too greedy. <em>

_—_Donald Trump

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Have a great week, guys!


	26. xxvi — accidental

For all you Kagome/Deidara fans, go check out my newest story upload: _Letters That Transcended Time_!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxvi — accidental

"K-K-Kagome-san, are you s-sure that this will w-work?" stammered out Hinata, the Hyuga heiress much more unnerved than usual.

"I'm not only sure, Hinata-chan, I'm _positive_!" the raven-haired female beside her assured, lifting up a hand.

A _squeak _of surprise poured through the lilac-eyed kunoichi's lips when she felt a playful, encouraging slap right above her bottom.

"Now go get 'em, tiger!" Kagome prompted with a wide grin, pointing at a particular blond male in the distance. "Chop chop!"

Hinata gulped, her complexion accentuated by crimson.

"O-o-_okay_, Kagome-san."

Kagome observed her 'pupil' with pride as the latter waddled ahead with the questionable grace of a penguin.

—only to collapse midway on the road.

She made a reflexive start towards the Hyuga, when Uzumaki Naruto beat her to the punch from the opposite end.

"Huh? Hinata-chan!" the boy exclaimed.

Her mouth crooked up in a smile.

"Well, I suppose it could work out this way, too," Kagome mused as she watched the pair.

* * *

><p><em> I still think my whole career was accidental. I didn't pursue it. I feel like I'm cheating sometimes.<em>

—Ben E. King

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: 'Cause Hinata really does need some form of moral support in the backdrop. Planning on 20+ new additions for _Reverie _this weekend in celebration of Thyme Spirit's birthday. :)


	27. xxvii — soldier

Namikaze Minato.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxvii — soldier

He came to an abrupt halt with his kunai poised just before the fine milky thread that was his quarry's neck.

His other outstretched hand held the mask, the shroud, he had pulled away.

Minato's blue eyes were wide as he stared at this—this civilian woman before him. It was obvious, to a near-painful point, that she was no kunoichi.

Yet she glowered at him with the valiance a warrior may possess, even as her bleeding hands were pinned to the tree behind her.

"What is it, Konoha shinobi—"

He knew her. He had sat down with her just yesterday to partake in a casual, passing conversation; the kind that occurred between like-minded strangers.

"—what is it _our nations are_ _fighting for_?"

"You are…" he whispered.

"Get out, _get out_!" she screamed tearfully, struggling under his firm grip. "Stop this war—_stop killing our people_!"

* * *

><p><em>All war is deception.<em>

—Sun Tzu

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I can see myself writing more on this. If you guys would like a mini-series on this, or something, let me know.


	28. xxviii — popular

Shino for dark-wolf-howl.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxviii — popular

Little Kagome approached the lonesome brunette child perched atop a wooden bench. His stubby legs were dangling off the edge, the cement ground far beneath them.

Ino-chan had cautioned her against conversing with this boy; she claimed that he was even _ickier _than Naruto-kun, Chouji-kun and Kiba-kun combined!

Sango-chan had protested saying that wasn't true, but when Sakura-chan piped up asking her to prove it wasn't, the former had quieted down.

There seemed to be a general consensus among the girls of Konoha's child daycare center that Aburame Shino should be avoided like the plague (whatever _that_ meant).

But she couldn't understand why he should be, and why her friends thought he was so icky.

Naruto-kun picked his boogers and made connect-the-dot pictures with them on the walls.

Chouji-kun always ate the classroom's crayons and munched on the playing beans; there was a rumor that he was the culprit behind the mysterious case of Hinata-chan's missing shoe.

Kiba-kun still needed to be potty-trained.

They had reasons that Little Kagome could accept as to why they were classified as _icky_, but not Aburame Shino.

"Shino-kun," she chirruped, her fingers linked behind her back, "konichiwa!"

The boy turned to her, the overhead sun reflecting off his opaque glasses.

"Konichiwa."

She climbed up the bench to sit beside him, her lips stretched out in an amicable smile.

"What'cha up to?"

"I am in the middle of forming closer bonds with my companions," Shino apprised in a somber, childish voice.

Kagome blinked in response to his cryptic answer, and the peculiar way in which he spoke… almost as an adult would.

"Friends, you mean?" she inquired with an upraised index finger.

Shino was silent, thoughtful, until he acknowledged, "Hai. Friends."

Well, this was a marvelous surprise! Kagome hadn't known that Shino-kun had had any friends at all—and it sounded as though he was doing something super important with them.

—she wanted to be included, too!

"Can I… can I meet your friends, Shino-kun?" she said, gazing at him with a measure of awe.

Again, the boy was slow to respond and this time rather hesitant.

"…a number of them are… shy. Mary, Eloise, Tom and Chewy are especially prone to—"

Kagome slid off the bench and stood erect before him, her hands clasped together as she went up on her tippy toes.

"Onegai, Shino-kun, let me meet your friends!" she pleaded with a pout. "I promise I won't scare them!"

"Okay…" the boy conceded. "All three-hundred-and-fifty of them?"

Kagome's eyes grew to the size of saucers. She nodded fiercely, her lips pursed in excitement.

_I didn't know Shino-kun was that popular! Three-hundred-and-fifty? That's way more than all the kids at the daycare! _

Little Shino reached for the buttons of his stuffy-looking brown jacket.

Kagome was about to find out _why _he always wore that thing even in the hottest of days, and what had warranted him the title of _Ickiest_.

* * *

><p><em>Children make you want to start life over.<em>

—Muhammad Ali

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Ugh, I think I'll go for a bit of a workout before I write any more. Over twelve hours of sleep makes me feel kinda… icky myself.


	29. xxix — devious

A companion piece for both _MCS: Everlasting _and _Aeon_, featuring the teenaged Sabaku no Yashamaru (Gaara's uncle)!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxix — devious

"Yashamaru-kun… you need to be more careful from now on," chided Kagome as she finished wrapping the boy's finger in a strip of gauze.

"Ah!" The fifteen-year-old chuunin rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, wearing an abashed expression. "Gomen, Kagome-chan; my hands have a tendency to slip every now and then."

Kagome sighed as she gave him a once-over, and then smiled. "Hope-less," she teased good-naturedly.

The shinobi pouted, the endearing albeit childish act bringing out his more effeminate characteristics.

"Well, since you've been taken care of I'll be going now," chirped Kagome as she rose up from the bench they had been seated on. "I still have to stop by the bazaar for Chiyo obaa-sama."

"W-wait, Kagome-chan!" exclaimed Yashamaru as his uninjured hand shot forward to grab her wrist.

"Yashamaru-kun…" Kagome uttered, gazing down quizzically at the appendage. "Something more you need?"

The boy gulped, a single drop of perspiration trickling down his temple.

—of course, Kagome only noticed his grip on her getting tighter.

"Hai… there is something," he whispered, his eyes earnest as they locked with hers.

"What is it?" Kagome queried with palpable interest, wondering what had brought about the sudden change in her friend's demeanor.

Yashamaru raised a trembling index finger, the one she had tended to minutes before.

"Karura-nee, she… whenever I get hurt…"

"Out with it," prompted Kagome, shaking the wrist he was holding onto for emphasis.

"She'll kiss my injury!"

Kagome shot the boy an incredulous look. "Yashamaru-kun—"

"Even just once—a slight peck!—would be fine, Kagome-chan, if you could," Yashamaru affirmed, a grand blush suffusing his cheeks.

His childhood friend arched a brow as she surveyed the far-off view comprised of sand, sand—and more sand.

Her final verdict—

"Okay, I suppose… It's not like it'll hurt anybody," the girl acquiesced, tapping her chin with a finger. She then directed the boy a threatening glare. "But no funny business."

.

.

.

Sasori spectated the pair with shrewd eyes from the distance, his youthful face twisting into a scowl.

He saw Kagome tuck her hair back behind her ear and lean in to place her lips on Yashamaru's despicable finger.

He saw the foolish, lovestruck grin playing at the latter's mouth as she did so.

He saw Kagome wave goodbye to his teammate and amble off towards the direction of the market (presumably running errands for Chiyo obaa-sama).

He saw Yashamaru's figure writhe with giddiness and gaiety once her back was to him.

Now, as for Akasuna no Sasori's ultimate deduction:

__…_a commendable artifice on your behalf, Yashamaru._

* * *

><p><em>Clever men are good, but they are not the best. <em>

—Thomas Carlyle

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Yay, Yashamaru/Kagome/Sasori, haha! There is a second part to this.


	30. xxx — misunderstood

A quick Kankurou!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxx — misunderstood

Kagome tilted her head to the side. "You want me to do your makeup?"

"It's _not _makeup," countered Kankurou vehemently as he glowered at his elder sibling's friend. "It's an ancient method of showing tribute to the progenitors that—"

She waved him off with her hand, interjecting, "All right, all right, enough of the history lesson, onegai."

"The more you hang out with my sister, the more you're becoming just like her…" Kankurou grumbled, his expression dry.

"Ne, be nice," the young woman quipped, sticking her tongue out at him. "Since Temari-chan won't be in Suna for the next several weeks, _I'm _the one that decides how your makeup is going to turn out every morning."

Kankurou closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, feeling the influx of an oncoming migraine.

* * *

><p><em>Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. <em>

—Mark Twain

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Though the reviews have died down by a tremendous amount, I'm glad that there's a hefty number of you following _Reverie_ on a consistent basis, haa.


	31. xxxi — devious II

Finishing up the night with this; it's Sasori's time to shine (_or not_)!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxi — devious II

"…my hand slipped."

Kagome contemplated him as though he were something strange, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "That sounds a little too familiar… And why do I find it hard to believe you, Sasori?"

Tiny, multiplying pinpricks of red marred the image of the Kagome before him, but Sasori chose to dismiss the minor nuisance.

"What I meant to say was—_my chakra strings_," he bit out, a bizarre numbness creeping up his legs. "T-tangled… th-they got tangled."

"Are you _stuttering_?" Kagome enunciated with pure skepticism, disregarding his poor excuse as to _why_ he was currently extending a bloodied hand towards her.

His body began freezing up, and a telltale chill wormed its way down his spine, the symptoms eerily similar to when he had had a drink of Chiyo's potent—

…oh, shit.

It was then that Sasori realized, something had gone _wrong_ in his impeccable plan.

(He had used the wrong kunai on himself—the one, among many others, that had been pre-marinated in his trademark poison.)

"H-h-_hurry_," he hissed, breaking out in cold sweat.

"S-Sasori, you look really pale right now," Kagome pointed out as the beginnings of panic set in on the both of them.

"_Hurry_!"

"Hurry _what_?" demanded the girl, spreading her arms out like wings in exasperation. "I'm no medic-nin, you need to _tell_ _me_ what it is you need right now!"

_It'll all have been for nothing! _the young redheaded shinobi swore in his aggravated mind.

"K-k-i—"

"Sasori!"

"—iss…!"

Sasori fell down in a ruined heap to the kitchen floor, twitching, and in the most mortifying position of his life.

Dancing anxiously above him, Kagome gripped hard onto the butcher knife in her grasp and shrieked, "_Chiyo obaa-sama_!"

.

.

.

_Damn you to hell, Yashamaru…_

* * *

><p><em>He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt. <em>

—Joseph Heller

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Can't blame him for trying! ;)


	32. xxxii — soldier II

Philosophy burns my mind… it _burns_!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxii — soldier II

"I don't need your help, shinobi!"

She made a forceful attempt to jerk her hand away from both his and the damp rag he held, the material saturated with a mixture of water and blood.

Minato re-established the grip he had on her wrist, keeping it in place.

"Let me take care of this for you," he chided tonelessly as he resumed his improvised cleansing of her wound, his head as well as his eyes slanted downward to it.

Her sheer strength was no match against his, and the woman growled in exasperation. Not a second after, her opposing hand flew up with the intention to strike him across the face for his audacity.

…but despite how much she loathed this blond _ninja, _this mercenary, this _soldier_, she could not find it within herself to do so.

How could she, when he was lowered to one knee before her on the verdant forest terrain, tending to her punctured hand—while she remained seated on a less-than-exquisite tree stump—as if he were her humble servant? (Never mind that _he_ had been the one to drill two of his kunai into both her palms before unmasking her.)

It would seem he lacked dignity, she deduced, for being so willing to demean himself for a person whose name he did not know.

Even so—

"Don't… don't act kind, shinobi," the woman sniped, though the tone of her voice was aggressive no more.

"I caused this, so it's up to me to fix it to the best of my abilities. Think of it as an obligation." His brows rose a mere centimeter as he tacked on, "And I would think you might have remembered my name. You were the one who asked for it, weren't you? Namikaze Minato, not _shinobi_."

Her mouth disappeared into a thin line, her gaze hard on him. "You're all the same to me."

Minato raised his head to gauge her with bright blue orbs, his nursing hands now motionless with her lone one in between them.

She was glaring at him through narrowed eyes, her tears building up at the edges.

* * *

><p><em>Children, even infants, are capable of sympathy. But only after adolescence are we capable of compassion. <em>

—Louise J. Kaplan

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Do you guys want more Minato?


	33. xxxiii — apotheosis

For those of you wanting Sasuke to be included.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxiii — apotheosis

"_Why _is it that we have to include this _girl_ in our team, Sasuke-kun?" a voice, belonging to a distressed young woman, wailed.

"She is essential for our success." This one was that of a male's, so firm and composed.

"You're just being a _jealous bitch_, Karin, 'cause Sasuke won't be giving you any attention _at all_, now," jibed a third individual with no sympathy and perhaps a snide grin on his features.

"Shut your disgusting mouth before I decide to vaporize you, Suigetsu!" the fickle girl—Karin?—retaliated in a spiteful tone.

"Shh… she has awoken," said the last of their unusual party, he being the most soft-spoken.

Kagome groggily opened her eyes halfway, her recuperating vision undergoing the gradual transition from blurriness to clarity.

"_Nani_…?" she whispered as she took in the novel sight that had materialized before her. A sun-kissed diamond of four people, all of them wearing varying expressions and the same black outfit—and but one of them standing ahead of the rest as their alleged leader. He gazed down at her with the presence of a great darkness in his eyes; even greater was the _ambition _residing in them.

"Hikari no Kagome," the dark-haired messenger enunciated, inflections of raw power dripping off his tone, "you now belong to Taka."

* * *

><p><em>Change brings opportunity. <em>

—Nido Qubein

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: There will be at least one more part to this.


	34. xxxiv — natural

Zetsu.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxiv — natural

She is a filthy child, perhaps filthier and more pitiful than any other being he has ever laid his eyes on before. Her brown tunic more resembles a discarded potato sack than anything else; it is damaged beyond repair with frayed edges and uneven holes and dirt smothered all over what might have once been white fabric. Long, unruly strands of raven hair sprout from her tiny skull, streaming south as a torrent black river to linger at a stop right above her barely covered bottom. Various parts of her, such as her exposed forearms and everything below her kneecaps, are marred with red-lined cuts and dark bruises—the marks that authenticate her as a child of the wilderness.

This one is hopeless, he muses.

Her eyes are bright and inquisitive as she examines his inhumane characteristics, a thin finger hovering over her crusted lower lip.

_It would be of good service to put this lowly creature out of its misery._

His golden gaze intensifies.

"I will devour you whole, little girl," he tells her with a sharp grin before his darker half joins in for a more malicious effect. "…_alive_."

She blinks at him, and when her hand descends to rest at her side he believes she might have understood him.

But when her naïve, innocent eyes acquire an even greater sheen and her lips curve into a smile—

—he knows otherwise.

* * *

><p><em>Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative.<em>

—H. G. Wells

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: This was something I was considering for the next chapter of _My Courageous Shinobi_. Not necessarily romantic, but you know.


	35. xxxv — goodbye

An overdue Genma for ThymeSpirit, which was meant to be a two-piece.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxv — goodbye

"This whole thing is ridiculous, you don't have to act this way."

The senbon trapped between Genma's teeth shifted up and down in uncertainty, the jounin's mouth dipping into a frown.

"No. _This_ is what should have been done _months_ ago," Kagome huffed, crouched before a loaded cardboard box with her back to him. "I was being so naïve—thinking it could work out!"

Genma sighed and closed his tired eyes, proceeding to cross his arms. "Just calm yourself and unpack your things, Kagome. It'll be easier on the both of us."

"…And why's that?"

"Because you'll be back in my apartment by the morning, as _always_, and it's a pain having to help you replace all your belongings around here."

She snorted. "A pain, huh?"

"Yes."

Kagome emitted a guttural sound from her throat as she lifted the box up from the bottom with both her hands, slowly rising to her feet. Her balance swayed for but a split second.

"Well, no need to worry about that," she chirped, turning to the man with a misleadingly cheerful smile. "Since this time, I made _sure _I won't be coming back."

Genma snapped open his eyes and set his gaze on Kagome, who was now waddling towards the door.

"What the hell are you saying?"

"My new home's been paid for already, Genma, that's what I'm saying. The deal's sealed."

His withering heart begged him to move, but his obdurate feet remained still on the carpeted floor.

"So you're being serious?" he intoned with his eyes riveted to Kagome's petite frame.

She paused in front of the door, her proud shoulders sagging.

"Yeah," she said lowly, "I am."

"Kagome—"

"It's off, Genma… our engagement."

* * *

><p><em>I don't know why they call it heartbreak. It feels like every other part of my body is broken too.<em>

—Missy Altijd

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	36. xxxvi — blithe

Because I don't want to clutter up _Reverie _with any more of my extraneous talk—_if you want to know what's going on, visit my author's profile; the message there will be deleted in a few days time_.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxvi — blithe

Utakata blew deftly into his pipe, and a cluster of bubbles emerged from a golden opening.

Then there was the sound of feet trampling grass, and he opened his eyes halfway to contemplate the younger girl in front of him.

A smile was plastered across her face as she bounced about, her hands flying through the air as her nails sought to puncture his finely crafted bubbles.

_Pop, pop, pop_—

She laughed, her hair flying with her wild movement. "Blow more!"

In lieu of complying with her wishes, Utakata leaned back against the tree behind him.

"You're being silly," he opined in a nonchalant tone.

Kagome then grew still. She turned to him with a serious expression, her fists planted on her hips.

The Rokubi Jinchuuriki's spine straightened on its own accord.

Her head tilted to the side, an unexpected grin revealing the glint of her teeth.

"You _need_ some silliness in your life."

* * *

><p><em>A carefree quality is a whole aspect of life that I will never understand. I don't think I have ever been carefree and can't see the pleasure of it. <em>

—Carter Burwell

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Feels good to just write. :)


	37. xxxvii — soldier III

Yet another snippet for you Minato lovers!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxvii — soldier III

The dark-haired woman winced as she brought her bandage-mittened hands to her chest.

"Gomen," Minato said with an apologetic smile as he stood in front of her. "If I were a medic-nin I'd have been able to heal your hands perfectly."

She glanced up at him before averting her eyes to a tree at her right. "…There's no need to be sorry."

At her quiet response the blond shinobi did not falter.

"Now that that's settled, shall I escort you back to your home? It's dangerous out here for a civilian like you."

A peculiar silence stretched between them.

"No," she objected, directing him a stern look, "you will not."

Minato blinked, taken aback by her abrupt change in demeanor.

"There's—there's something I have to do." Her mouth pressed momentarily into a thin line. "I didn't come all this way… to be stopped by_ you_!"

The man raised his palms before him in defense, taking a wary step backward.

She shut her eyes tight and turned her chin away from him, her cocooned hands shielding her vulnerable heart.

"How can you act as if everything's okay?" she whispered in a frail voice.

Minato lowered his arms to his sides and frowned.

"I tried to kill you…"

"You didn't know it was m—" he protested gently, only to be cut off.

"Yes, I did!"

Her tears were back again, streaming down her cheeks, and Minato drew his brows together; how was one supposed to deal with a difficult situation such as this?

"What is a man like _you_ doing with _them_," the woman cried with her face now buried in the hands he had both wounded and mended. "What the hell did they do to deserve your kindness?"

* * *

><p><em>Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. <em>

—Albert Einstein

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Planning on Kisame next, as requested by REVOLVUS!


	38. xxxviii — salvage

Just indulging in a tiny break from my monotonous math homework. :) Thank you for all your reviews, guys, I appreciate it! This one is for REVOLVUS.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxviii — salvage

The small, blue-skinned four-year-old child wailed as the transparent sheets of rain beat down on him. The cry that poured from his gaping mouth was nearly inhuman in the way that it sounded—not unlike his peculiar appearance. He was hungry, he was cold, he was frightened, and there was no one to bother as to pick him up in their arms and ask him what was wrong. The streets of Kiri were barren, desolate, and thin layers of fog permeated the entire village.

Tears streamed down in rivulets from the corners of his scrunched up eyes, only to be diluted by the rain. His hands were curled into distressed fists at his sides, and his simple maroon-colored shirt clung to his body like a second skin, sodden and clingy. Blue hair sagged down from its usual upright position.

"Ne, what do we have here?" a feminine voice chimed in, silencing the aggravated child immediately.

Kisame dared to crack open his eyes, to see a raven-haired woman crouching down before him. The rain was no longer beating down on his head, courtesy to the flower-printed umbrella being held up over him.

Her lips were tilted in a warm smile, her unoccupied hand wedged between her slightly bent thighs.

"Konnichiwa," she greeted.

* * *

><p><em>No man stands so straight as when he stoops to help a boy.<em>

—Knights of Pythagoras

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Okay, so, I'm planning to have a mini-series in _Reverie _with the theme of the 7 Cardinal Sins (greed, lust, envy, pride, _etcetera_). I'm not sure as to whether I should focus on just one character with Kagome, or include seven different characters with one for each particular theme. I don't mind either way, so I will let you guys have a say in what you would like to see? Just let me know this:

1) 7 mini-shots of a single character, or 7 different characters?

2) If you would like all 7 shots to focus on one character, who would you like it to be? If seven characters, which seven characters would you like to see? Remember, doesn't have to be romance, so female characters are able to be included (though I doubt you guys will pick 'em, haa!).

Thanks!


	39. xxxix — masquerade

Wow you guys are amazing, thank you for being so responsive! **Anonymous Perspective**, I'm glad you enjoyed Mini-Kisame; keep an eye out for his reappearance in _Reverie_, heh. As for **kasumi**, hmm, I don't think I can do a double-run on the 7 Cardinal Sins, but feel free to suggest a character you want to see in it if you so desire? :) **Sin of the Fallen**, I think the real question here is… which chibified character would I _most want_ to hug the freaking breath out of! (The winner being, hands down, pre-Madara Tobi. Chibi Tobi would be a symbiotic explosion of crazy and cute, yes?) **AnimeFreakAmanda** & **Speedykitten1643**, will do! An extra long (in _this _case) Itachi chapter for all of you!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xxxix — masquerade

_Why, of course… I can reassure you, Itachi, that there is no more feasible an option to turn to at this point. _

"Nii-san, am I holding it right?"

_You know it just as well as I do; our degenerate clan members are the very ones who have brought this upon themselves, Itachi._

"Oi, Nii-san!"

_Danzou has made a wise decision. Itachi, it is time for you to make yours. You know where to find me, once you do…_

"…Nii-san."

Itachi blinked, his momentarily blurred vision coming into focus and zeroing in on the unimposing figure in front of him. Accusing onyx eyes stared hard into his own, his younger sibling's lips twisted in a childish pout. Gripped in Sasuke's left hand was a practicing kunai, the edges dulled so as to allow the child some practice without risking fatal self-harm. Itachi erected his back, his black-clad bottom accommodated by the surface of a large rock.

"Sasuke," he began slowly, in his usual composed tone, "you… appear upset."

"'Cause you were zoning out again," Sasuke deadpanned.

Itachi's indecipherable gaze deserted the pudgy face of his younger sibling in favor of trailing down the latter's front collar. "…So I was."

The small boy, still standing before his prodigy of a brother, pursed his lips. His expression was anything but pleased. Itachi had _promised_, all but crossing his heart, to teach him how to handle kunai effectively today! Sasuke had been waiting so long for this _one _time alone with his Nii-san, having constantly been brushed aside like a bothersome gnat for weeks upon blasted weeks. But this, this was… How unfair!

He opened his mouth to voice his evident displeasure. "Nii—"

"_Itachi-nii-san_, don't be so unjust to Sasu-chan!"

Both brothers jerked their heads toward the source of sound, laying their pitch-black colored eyes on the petite frame of a grinning dark-haired woman. She was peering around the thick bark of a tree, now stepping away from it to reveal her full self. Disregarding her playful comment, Itachi nodded in wordless greeting.

"Kago-nee," Sasuke hissed, his ears flaming red with embarrassment. "I _told_ you not to call me that!"

"Why not, it's such a cute nickname," she remarked pertly, winking. "An adorable name for an adorable little boy."

Itachi watched as Sasuke's whole complexion transitioned from alabaster to scarlet, and as the boy chucked his defective kunai to the ground out of sheer frustration.

"Nii-san… Kago-nee…" he growled while his head hung low. "You're _both_ getting on my nerves!"

With that he angrily dashed away from the tiny clearing in the forest, perhaps to run home and weep sorrowfully in his mother's arms for the hundredth time about how he hated being the youngest child out of three. To which, Uchiha Mikoto would croon and run her chore-weary fingers through her little boy's head, further coddling him as she never failed to do. (No wonder Sasuke had turned out far more spoiled than both his elder siblings combined.)

"Nee-san," said Itachi with the slightest hint of amusement in his voice, his mouth quirked in a faint smile. "You did that on purpose."

"Did I?" Kagome replied lightly, lifting her palms to emphasize the small plate of onigiri resting on top of them.

___I can reassure you, Itachi, that there is no more feasible an option to turn to at this point. ___

The near-nonexistent smile on Itachi's face died instantly as he recalled Madara's most recent words. Even his dear siblings could not distract him long enough from them, not Sasuke, not Kagome…

"We haven't had a good brother-to-sister chat in a bit of a while, right?"

Itachi noted as his sister made herself comfortable on the remaining room of his rock, having stridden over uninvited with her edible offering. He shifted a little over to the side, providing her marginally more space. Itachi soon felt a soft but firm hand grasp his chin and direct it to face eyes strikingly identical to his. Strange, it really was. Somehow, it seemed wrong that Kagome's eyes were of that particular piercing color; as a child he had often dreamt of a Kagome with brighter, warmer eyes, its filling shade that of anything but _black_. Was it truly but a dream, he would later ponder, as he remembered how vivid the images had been in his mind.

Kagome regarded him expectantly, awaiting his response.

_Do you know, Nee-san, of this pain that has been plaguing me for countless days and nights?_

He offered her a halfhearted smile. "No, Nee-san, we haven't."

* * *

><p><em> You can kid the world. But not your sister.<br>_

—Charlotte Gray

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Apparently everyone wants varying characters for the themes in the upcoming 7 Cardinal Sins, so… that's that. I'm in the process of brain-plotting my ideas for the mini series, and it's likely that it's going to make its not-so-grand entrance in _Reverie _after several more newly added chapters. During the considerable time that's left, you guys may inform me on which characters you want to be included in it.

1) Namikaze Minato (as requested by **AnimeFreakAmanda**)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

The remaining six slots are open, and I'll take the first six requests that come in. If they don't get filled up by you guys, I shall resort to (a) random pick(s). xD


	40. xl — purgatory

"Purgatory" is going to be a long one, spanning _possibly_ up to 10+ chapters. It will focus on Madara, Izuna, Kagome and Sasuke; however, it's nothing like a harem story if that's what you're expecting!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xl — purgatory

She laughed, the sound euphonious as it echoed in his keen ears. Her raven locks flew wildly behind her as she ran, her small hand firm around his as she led him along the roadless path. They were crossing an open field of sunflowers with impressive speed, the sun shining down on them in mellow grace. Billowing after her was the fabric of her opulent clothing, the delicate material fluttering in the air from her unreserved movements.

_We're almost there, try not to fall behind now!  
><em>

He nodded though she couldn't see, and a smile spread across his lips as he refrained from reminding her just _which_ of them was the actual quick-footed shinobi here.

Never before in his lifetime could he recall a time when he had felt so elated and carefree as now. This woman, she was his everything, and he would doubtless give all of himself to her, and for her, as well. When they stopped at the middle of the field the two of them both bent over to catch their breaths. His mouth produced sentences on its own accord, and he found himself chiding this female on how whimsical of a woman she truly was, dragging him out for spontaneous sight-seeing in the middle of the afternoon. Yet, if possible, he did so with affection. In flippant response she waved him off with a hand, before tilting her head upward to stick her tongue out past her lips at him.

_What's wrong with a little craziness now and then? I'm sick of always being stuck in that dark place_, she whined, the gems that were her eyes gleaming with adamancy, challenging him to prove her wrong.

Instead of doing so he chuckled, and tackled her to the ground with his arms encasing her thin form. She shrieked and squealed, fighting against his steadfast hold as she wriggled under the shrouding leaves of sunflower stalks, eventually giving up and giggling with unfettered joy as he pampered her face with chaste kisses.

Their mouths soon met in a direct, passionate kiss. When she pulled away with her lashes lowered coyly over her eyes and an appealing pink hue tinting her cheeks, his breath hitched in his throat; just as it had many, many times before. Each and every time he saw her like this, she was even more beautiful than the last. Yes, she was his everything, nothing could go against that fact, nor would anything change it.

_I love you, Izuna_, she whispered as her hand gently caressed the side of his face. _I will always, forever, through all of time. _

Izuna? His name was not—

…

…

…

"_Sasuke_," followed by a single, sharp knock.

Said seventeen-year-old boy awoke in his bed with a start, his arm flying automatically to shield his eyes from the rays creeping in through an unobstructed window.

The incessant rapping on the other side of his bedroom door continued. "Sasuke, get up. Ojii-sama will be arriving from the airport soon. This is the last time I will—"

"I'm up, I'm up!" Sasuke snarled, irritated and groggy as he shot forward to an upright position on his mattress. "Stop with the knocking already, it's giving me a damn migraine!"

"Wash yourself, get dressed, and make _sure_ to be present in the living room within the next fifteen minutes," responded the male coolly from the other side, unfazed by his aggressive tone. Sasuke then heard the placid steps of his older brother proceeding back down the hallway, thankfully leaving him alone.

He covered his face with his hands, already feeling the mounting influx of an oncoming headache. "I'll kill you one day, Itachi," he groaned. This was not the type of morning he needed after having experienced another one of those strange, insane _dreams_. They were peculiar in that they were recurrent; in fact, these past few days they had been badgering him in his slumber way more often than usual. The unnamed woman with long raven hair and uniquely colored eyes would constantly invade his actual legitimate dreams, skewing them to the point where she was leading him across that field of sunflowers and teasing him with her gaze and good-natured remarks—_again_.

Not that those dreams were horribly unpleasant while he dreamt them, though it weren't as if he had a choice in the matter. After all, it were as if he wasn't even himself, when in the lucid visions he _was_ himself, and the himself that was _not _himself was always feeling so giddy and so damn happy to the point where _he_, Sasuke, got dream-butterflies in his stomach. Did that… make sense…?

"SASUKE!" This time it was his disciplinarian father, howling from the kitchen downstairs.

He swore under his breath, cursing the imaginary woman who kept infiltrating his dreams at night and making him restless.

* * *

><p><em>Dreaming men are haunted men.<br>_

—Stephen Vincent Benet

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: This was actually supposed to be an independent drabble story _before _I even had _Reverie _up under my account. That's why it'll be a bit lengthy, with a decent plot. Yes, Sasuke and Itachi (and any other recognizable characters that are to appear) are living in the modern time. Yes, shinobi's exist—err, they _did_. You'll see as you read along.

7 Cardinal Sins Suggestions Corner:

1) Namikaze Minato (as requested by **AnimeFreakAmanda**)

2) Suigetsu (as requested by **Thyme Spirit**)

3) Kakashi (as requested by **darksilvercloud** & **Speedykitten1643**)

4) Itachi (as requested by **an anonymous reader**)

5-7) Open slots, feel free to request!


	41. xli — reunions

A quick 2-piece Kyuubi with a delicious _twist_ at the tip.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xli — reunions

"Uh… Kagome-nee-san…" Naruto gulped, almost cross-eyed as he stared anxiously at the glowing index finger nearing the center of his forehead.

Kagome stopped her minute advancement, blinking at the teenage boy. "Naruto-kun?"

He closed his eyes tight, corpulent droplets of sweat racing down his temples. "N-n-_nothing_, it's okay…"

"If you're afraid, we don't have to do this." At the thought of this pretty nee-san thinking him _scared shitless _of her _finger_, Naruto regained his boldness.

"Ah, screw it!" he growled, eyes still shut as he cut Kagome's work out for her and pushed his forehead onto her pink-glowing finger.

Never mind the fact that in the moment he did, he experienced a searing pain that was possibly the worst thing he ever felt in his whole life. And that was saying a lot, seeing as how he had been cut up and bruised and stabbed and burned—along with anything else one could imagine—a number of times. Something unfathomable ignited within him at the mere contact of his skin with Kagome's, and that sensation coiled up in his stomach so tautly until it felt as though his very intestines were being ripped off their hinges and coming tied together in a knot.

_DAMN YOU FOOLISH CHILD_, Kyuubi bellowed wrathfully from behind the gates of his consciousness.

* * *

><p><em>Demons do not exist any more than gods do, being only the products of the psychic activity of man. <em>

—Sigmund Freud

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I seriously have to stop indulging in _Reverie _and update a few of my other stories. Forgive me, guys, this collection of stories is just so much easier to keep up with (randomly). :(

7 Cardinal Sins Suggestions Corner:

1) Namikaze Minato (as requested by **AnimeFreakAmanda**)

2) Suigetsu (as requested by **Thyme Spirit**)

3) Kakashi (as requested by **darksilvercloud** & **Speedykitten1643**)

4) Itachi (as requested by **an anonymous reader**)

5-7) Open slots, feel free to request!


	42. xlii — reunions II

Here we have it.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xlii — reunions II

"It's been a while," Kagome said softly, her mouth curved downward as she leaned against the colossal green-tinted cage. Her palms rested flat against the bars, her curious nose wandering past one of the gaps in between. The ambient lighting was a dim, musty yellow shade and seemingly concentrated on her for its focal point, allowing utter darkness to stretch past everywhere else in the distance. Hidden under the thick veil of everlasting shadows, Kyuubi hissed at her, his blood-red eyes all that were visible of him.

"Any closer and I'll singe the skin off your pretty face!" he snarled, gaze narrowing.

Kagome's eyes glistened with restrained tears as her expression rearranged itself to depict both joy and sorrow.

"You don't want me to see you," she whispered, trying to inch closer past the unconquerable seal that was Kyuubi's confinement. "Are you ashamed of yourself, Youko?"

Kyuubi's eyes widened at the name she spoke so familiarly, and with a heinous cry he charged forth. He threw his entire body against the cage, though he managed to draw naught but a cruel rattling noise from doing so. He was crouched down on all fours, crimson eyes large and demented as he visually drank in the features of his—_mate_.

"Curse you… _curse you_, _wicked priestess_!"

Kagome regarded him with pity as she appraised him silently, her eyelids drooping low. Her incomplete grip on the massive bars of the cage turned vice-like as she frowned at his orange-colored fur and his long-since evaporated mannerisms and charm.

"Because of me, they banished you from their ranks," she said lowly. "Youko… it's my fault."

"_Come inside, I will_ _devour you_!" Globs of spit flew from Kyuubi's gaping jaws as he futilely pushed his oversized muzzle against his prison.

"If you hadn't been forced to become a Red Fox…" Tears trickled down Kagome's cheeks as she spoke in a cracked tone, oblivious to the mad howls of the demon before her. "If… if your tails had never changed colors…"

.

.

.

Kagome smiled wearily at the silver-haired man whom had replaced the large, orange-furred beast. She extended her hand past the bars, hoping to entwine her fingers with him one last time. He outstretched his arm in her direction as well, a charismatic smirk tilting his lips. The tips of their fingers brushed against each other, before Kagome's rose up in the direction where a set of fox ears resided. They twitched atop a crown of silver hair, teasing her as she sought to reach a bit further. It was no use, and she settled for running her touch down the front of his white silken attire, relishing in the exquisite feel, of what she had not felt for centuries.

"Youko," she whispered.

His hand drifted to her own, and grasped it. Golden orbs remained fixated to her for the longest of times, until they gradually bled into crimson.

.

.

.

Her mood was blissful even as Kyuubi—yes, it was a vile creature named _Kyuubi_, it was not her beloved and handsome Youko Kurama—gnashed on her whole right arm with his fangs, reducing it to a bloody mangled mess of flesh that was tearing apart like seams on cheap clothing. Her pain was nothing compared to her relief and elation. Kyuubi, with a violent tug on her person, yanked her past the bars into his shadowed prison. There he tore away at her limp body, all the while as Kagome wore a look of ecstasy that out shined her blood-tainted features. Tears of reprieve flooded down from her blank eyes.

"Yes, yes, _yes_…" she cheered weakly. "It wasn't him… Youko was never caught… because of me…"

* * *

><p><em>You know, we all have our inner demons. I, for one - I can't speak for you, but I'm on the verge of moral collapse at any time. It can happen by the end of the show.<em>

—Glenn Beck

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Yeah, I write some pretty crazy shit once in a while! Also, yes, by "Youko Kurama" we are speaking of the one from Yu Yu Hakusho. Google, if need be.

7 Cardinal Sins Suggestions Corner:

1) Namikaze Minato (as requested by **AnimeFreakAmanda**)

2) Suigetsu (as requested by **Thyme Spirit**)

3) Kakashi (as requested by **darksilvercloud** & **Speedykitten1643**)

4) Itachi (as requested by **an anonymous reader**)

5) Yahiko (as requested by **Sin of the Fallen**)

6-7) Open slot; sorry, one request per person, just to be fair!


	43. xliii — purgatory II

Before I knock out for the night? Thank you for reading and reviewing, truly!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xliii — purgatory II

Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disdain, dangling the offensive object mid-air in front of him. It was jewelry. His grandfather had given him a _necklace _as a reacquainting gift, while Itachi received cash in pure and other far more interesting trinkets. Hell, to be honest, it was just outright degrading. Was the old man on the precipice of going senile, and thus mistaken his younger grand_son_ for a female? Sasuke gave said offender a sidelong glance, watching as the portly male engaged in animated, coherent chatter with his father while they both occupied a single sofa. Itachi, standing as he leaned casually against the back it towards them, jumped in the conversation now and then to contribute a 'witty' comment. That show off.

He may have been excellent at feigning impeccable modesty and honor, and diplomatically danced in front of anyone and everyone wherever possible, but Sasuke knew his elder brother _too well_. The bastard was an actor, and a damn good one.

"Why the long face, Sasuke-kun?" said his jolly grandfather, his neck craning back to face his youngest grandson. He was a thickset man, and Sasuke mentally cringed at all the creased layers of excess fat on his neck. It seemed he grew bigger with every passing year.

"Oh, so it seems you didn't forget my gender," the boy remarked dryly.

His father and Itachi both entertained surprised expressions on their faces, before assaulting him with matching glares. Sasuke knew he would be getting it later after the old man left, lectures on 'proper etiquette'.

For a few seconds his grandfather blinked rather vacuously. Then, he burst out in hearty laughter.

"Sasuke-kun, you're as snippy as ever!" he wheezed, a plump hand set over his bulging belly. "This is why you're my favorite."

Itachi's face contorted as if he had just bitten into a lemon.

"_Nani_?" demanded Sasuke with an incredulous look. He thrust the ruby-diamond necklace towards his grandfather. "Ojii-san, if I'm your favorite then why the hell did I get _jewelry_?"

Fugaku growled lowly, his arms folded across his chest in tacit disapproval.

The aged man lifted himself up off the couch in favor of rising to his feet and walking—_waddling_—to Sasuke, his near-bald head glinting under the overhead lighting.

"Listen, Sasuke-kun," he said cheerfully as he joined the boy on the other sofa, his body sinking into the lush material upon contact. "That there is no ordinary 'jewelry', it's an ancient, coveted artifact that's been passed down through pure, undiluted generations of Uchiha. It is a genuine, priceless treasure, one of but a few that had been valued greatly by our progenitors." The tightness in Sasuke's face unraveled, though the opposite was in effect for Itachi. Fugaku smiled pridefully at the mention of his ancestors.

All was quiet save for the sound of Mikoto washing the dishes in the kitchen, humming a musical tune to herself. Sasuke pressed his grandfather to continue with an inquisitive gaze. The latter grinned, a charming twinkle in his eye.

"Not to mention, it is a very _special_ item… This is no common necklace, Sasuke-kun." There was a puzzling mysteriousness to his words that neither Sasuke, Itachi, nor Fugaku could interpret. They all wore varying expressions of either deceptive blankness, mild confusion, or—

"Who wants_ dessert_?" chirped Mikoto as she pranced out of the kitchen, donned in her pink housewife apron.

"Oh—_I_ do, _I do_!"

Sasuke stared at his epicurean grandfather, considering to perhaps warn him against eating again (lest he should suffer a heart attack sometime next month) as he had already shoveled into his belly during dinner enough to feed a dying continent. He looked to Itachi, who might have also been thinking the same thing. Or not. Two identical sets of onyx orbs locked, before the older of the pair slid downward to the ruby necklace displayed in Sasuke's unfurled palm. The boy closed his fist over it to deliberately hide it from Itachi's view. His elder sibling frowned.

_Jealous, Itachi?_ The younger brother smirked. _Not every day that I end up with the better prize, is it?_

All right, that was good; he had something over his older brother to gloat about for the next several weeks or so. It was more than enough to make his evening.

* * *

><p><em>Cynicism is full of naive disappointments. <em>

—Mason Cooley

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Waaaah.

7 Cardinal Sins Suggestions Corner:

1) Minato (as requested by **AnimeFreakAmanda**)

2) Suigetsu (as requested by **Thyme Spirit**)

3) Kakashi (as requested by **darksilvercloud** & **Speedykitten1643**)

4) Itachi (as requested by **an anonymous reader**)

5) Yahiko (as requested by **Sin of the Fallen**)

6) Kiba (as requested by **Kag Fan**)

7) Open slot; one request per person, just to be fair!


	44. xliv — purgatory III

Seriously, the final one. By the way, there's one more slot available for the 7 Cardinal Sins mini-shots, so suggest a character if you like!**  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xliv — purgatory III

Sasuke lay supine on his bed with every synthetic light in his room extinguished, natural moonlight filtering in through his half-drawn curtains. His pillow supported his head and his left hand was motionless atop his stomach. His legs were drawn up on the mattress. It was his right hand that held the ruby necklace his grandfather had bequeathed to him hours earlier. The precious stone hung down from a thin silver chain, swinging steadily like a pendulum as he waved it so. He closed his eyes for a moment, sighing.

"Special, is it?" he groused in a mocking tone.

_—I'm waiting. _

Sasuke snapped open his eyes, a sudden phenomenal chill seeping into his bones. He surged into an upright position on his bed, the necklace chiming daintily as he did, its ruby gem swinging more forcefully. A strong, cold gust of wind barged past his beige window curtains, shoving them aside without mercy and confronting him. The boy raised his arms to his chest in an X formation, his head bowing down as he braced against the frosty weather. When the wind subsided, he lifted his head to scrutinize his window.

"That's weird," he muttered under his breath. "A wind like that shouldn't even be possible in this summer heat…" He slid out of bed, the necklace still in his right hand, and made his way toward the window. Sasuke shivered; had the air temperature just dropped by twenty degrees? That's what it felt like.

—_Did you forget about me? I won't forgive if you if you did…_

The boy froze in place, another potent gust of wind ruffling his light-weight curtains and obscuring the moon, along with its comforting brilliance. It was completely dark.

Sasuke didn't know what had impelled him to turn around in his current position. But all he knew was that when he did—

…ruby-red orbs were gleaming at him, from the reflection of the mirror set on his dresser.

"_You won't escape me,_" the shadow in his mirror whispered vehemently in a grotesque, mutated voice, reaching towards him with a black hand. The black hand emerged from the glass world dimension, materializing into reality and groping for Sasuke from the fair distance.

Sasuke's eyes were wide and fearful as he spectated this—what the _hell _was this, anyway? A ghost, a creature, the devil himself…

He should have saved the thinking for later and screamed bloody murder instead, because by the time the black hand extended and simultaneously shot forth like a crack-whip, covering his eyes and face in an expansion of unidentifiable black muck, it was too late. In an instant, he fainted.

* * *

><p><em>Behind every tree there's a new monster. <em>

—Todd Rundgren

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: A bit of horror, yes. There will be much more of it throughout "Purgatory."

7 Cardinal Sins Suggestions Corner:

1) Minato (as requested by **AnimeFreakAmanda**)

2) Suigetsu (as requested by **Thyme Spirit**)

3) Kakashi (as requested by **darksilvercloud** & **Speedykitten1643**)

4) Itachi (as requested by **an anonymous reader**)

5) Yahiko (as requested by **Sin of the Fallen**)

6) Kiba (as requested by **Kag Fan**)

7) Open slot; one request per person, just to be fair!


	45. xlv — masquerade II

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I am taking into consideration the characters you want to see in upcoming chapters of _Reverie_. This one is dedicated to** **anonymous reviewer ****and** **fredisagirl****.**  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xlv — masquerade II

"The family thinks you've been acting strange," Kagome remarked as she plucked an onigiri from the plate on her lap.

_That would be an understatement, Nee-san. _Itachi's unfaltering gaze was fixed on the unknowing depths of the forest, his hands lax on his knees.

"…Being an ANBU must be a tough job."

"It… can be somewhat demanding at times," he confessed. Itachi's eyes subsequently lowered to the triangular rice ball being held up to his lips. With a lithe hand he accepted the onigiri, in lieu of allowing his sister to feed him as she often had while he was a boy. The young man bit into the morsel, its plain taste and simple consistency gracing his mouth as he chewed and then swallowed. His teeth didn't make it to the center where a surprise core ingredient lay in wait, however, for Itachi turned to face Kagome. "Will you ask of me as well?"

Kagome's eyes widened a fraction, before she realized what he was saying and shook her head with a smile. "Iie. I won't." She wouldn't attempt to pry into his life as the others had, that's what she was claiming. Itachi regarded her for a long while, assessing the truth of her words in her expression and body language. When he concluded she had no underlying motive for having approached him with his favored (or _was_; nowadays he hardly had a taste for anything…) dish, Itachi nodded.

"Nee-san, arigatou."

His sister grinned at him, gratified by his acceptance, and she leaned back with one arm situated behind her on the rock. Her chin tilted upward and she examined the blue skies supervising them from above, the sun being obstructed by the means of wayward clouds. Itachi continued nibbling thoughtfully on his onigiri, his eyes set on the dirt terrain before him.

"Ne, Otouto-kun, do you know who you belong to?"

Itachi paused, a chunk of rice laced with seaweed and tuna set between his teeth.

_Belong to_, he pondered on the meaning of the words. If he belonged to anyone would it not be his clan, the Uchiha… or perhaps ANBU and the village? He resisted the urge to grimace darkly, the words of a certain Uchiha Madara returning to haunt him.

"You belong to the world, Otouto-kun," Kagome answered simply, smiling at the sun which was peaking through a gap present in a colony of clouds. "…and in turn, the world belongs to you."

Silence that was companionable and yet heavy fell upon them.

Kagome stood up with her plate of onigiri in her hands, placing it on the spot next to Itachi where she had prior sat. Then she was in front of him, her palm on the top of his head.

"Don't ever forget," she told him lowly. "You belong to no one else."

* * *

><p><em>Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.<em>

—Jimi Hendrix

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I always believed Itachi was conflicted over whether his allegiance should lie with his village or his people. (Among other things, but you know.) Anyway, "Masquerade" has two more segments to be posted, but I'm going to warn you now that if you want to maintain that endearing image of brother Itachi and sister Kagome in your head, you may not want to read them.

7 Cardinal Sins Results: 1) Minato (as requested by **AnimeFreakAmanda**), 2) Suigetsu (as requested by **Thyme Spirit**), 3) Kakashi (as requested by **darksilvercloud** & **Speedykitten1643**), 4) Itachi (as requested by **an anonymous reader**), 5) Yahiko (as requested by **Sin of the Fallen**), 6) Kiba (as requested by **Kag Fan**), 7) Sai (as requested by **Akikazu**); it was all done in a first come first serve order. Thanks for your input guys, I'll be working on these.


	46. xlvi — purgatory IV

Chillin' in the library after a compact breakfast consisting of a Subways breakfast sandwich and a mug of coffee. Not too shabby…

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required,nd I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xlvi — purgatory IV

The night was an absolute calm without roaming winds, not a single intrusive sound piercing through its still atmosphere. Gleaming at the focal point of the starless sky was a moon seemingly swollen with blood, its round proportions and distribution of red-tinted beams both full and generous. Placed underneath it by the gods was an expansive body of water, unmoving, bordered on all encompassing sides by hulking walls of coarse gray-white stone. There was a peculiar and striking scent in the air, mingling amidst the overabundant saltiness… that of scorched human flesh. A splendid fire burned in the middle of the red-glowing sea, reaching up toward the black heavens with supple hands forged of flames—and dancing gracefully around it were two mortal figures.

He stood before the scene with impossibly wide eyes and bated breath, sweat raining down his temples and amassing at the back of his neck. Anxiety coiled up like a predatory snake in his stomach, ready to lash out and sink its fangs into him from the inside. His feet were frozen to where he stood, his cowardly spine stiff, and he himself inebriated with fear.

They were oblivious to him, the two faultless dancers, the fire that refused to sink under acting as their sole buffer in between. He might have heard their voices through the distance, and believed it to be laughter as they twirled and spun together in a perfect circle, breaking away and coming together again in symphony. But he knew better than to be so naïve. As various elemental attacks arose from the wine-colored water and materialized out of thin air, struck down from the bolt-less sky and shot up from the very flames they danced for, he knew one of them was soon bound for death.

He screamed for them to stop, his eyes deranged and his throat hoarse. Spit flew from his mouth as he bellowed desperately at the peak of his lungs.

_She_ turned to him with flushed cheeks and a sweat-glistened complexion, her expression that of shock and utter disbelief. Her lips then parted in realization before twitching at the corners in newfound relief. Yet, as her battered arms lowered to her sides and his own mouth started to form the line of a weary smile, she suddenly spewed blood from her throat and descended forward. He was no less horrified when the woman was seized at the waist by her opponent, the other contending performer, and brought as close to his chest as the metal spear impaling her own would permit. The adrenaline began rushing again in his system as his sights zeroed in on the defeated hanging head of raven locks, eventually rising to capture a pair of ruby-red orbs. They flashed at him, devilish.

His victorious elder brother smiled, holding out the vanquished woman in his arms as though he were displaying a magnificent prize for his sibling to behold. The crackling fire beside the man cast shadows over his pale, haunted features as he spoke, composure and pride simultaneously dripping off his words. A deep, rumbling baritone informed his lone and grieving spectator:

_I have done it, Izuna_…_ for us._

…

…

…

Sasuke entered consciousness howling the name of his elder brother—the one whom was not Itachi, and whose infernal name and face evaporated from his mind the second his mournful cry subsided. He found himself _floating _(which was what he hypothesized, after an impromptu trial of frantically pinwheeling his arms until he dryly determined he wasn't going to plummet to oblivion) in an interminable void of darkness. There was a terrible throbbing present behind his eyes that incited him into cradling his head. Sasuke cursed the familiar migraine, and then he cursed the dream he had just experienced for being the likely cause of it.

This particular dream had felt far too realistic for his approval, more so than its just-as-unwelcome predecessors. The gut-wrenching emotions he had been subject to in it had been intense and nerve-wracking, as though they were his own. The boy vaguely wondered if the woman he saw killed was the same one he associated with a sickeningly cheerful field of sunflowers.

His musings were cut short when a hovering black casket manifested before him.

* * *

><p><em>Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't. <em>

—Richard Bach

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I know these 'drabbles' are no longer exactly 'bite-sized'; some chapters in _Reverie _will continue to be, while some won't. Hope you guys don't mind! As for this chapter, I wonder what is inside that coffin?


	47. xlvii — axis

This one is dedicated to **Blackmoon OniOokami**.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required,nd I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xlvii — axis

The desert cracked her lips and sapped her bones dry of moisture, relentless; it wasn't known to be kind to foreigners. Black tendrils of hair jutted out at random angles, and her smooth, practiced stride had long since declined to a worn out waddle. As for _him_, not a single hair was out of place.

"How are you faring, Kagome-san?" Gaara was no longer walking ahead, having turned to her.

She quickly erected herself at his even call, her hands flying to shield her eyes from the sun as she lifted her head to him. "J-just fine, Kazekage-sama. Maybe a little _warm_, but… fine!"

The peace representative from Kumo was anything but fine in her current state. Poor woman seemed about ready to pass out from dehydration.

Gaara's keen gaze remained on her for a little while longer before he turned back. "There's a resting stop ahead. We will take a short break."

Her breathy sigh was of considerable noise in the still desert.

"Thank Kami…"

* * *

><p><em>To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up.<br>_

—Oscar Wilde

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Sorry if I haven't gotten to your request yet; I plan to, just haven't had much time lately! Plus, I was sick, so yeah I couldn't write. :(


	48. xlviii — axis: mirage

For the charming Miss o0KittyBlue0. :)

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, and I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xlviii — axis: mirage

"—me-san… Yo, Kagome-san."

Kagome's dazed eyes slowly fluttered open, and at once they squinted in disagreement with the blazing afternoon sun. Her initial reaction was to cover her face from the blasted thing with her arms, but she found she hadn't the strength to do so. She was drained, and _dried up _as though she would be the chewiest raisin in the entire world.

_I hate the desert_, she lamented, her gaping mouth desiccated.

"Kagome-san," the male looming over her repeated again. "Think you'll be okay now?"

Once she focused she could make out the slight spikiness of his red hair, and the prominent outline of his eyes. There was a symbol on his forehead where his bangs parted; the kanji for the word _love_.

"Get it together, will you?" he encouraged roughly, though his lips weren't moving. His face was coming a bit closer, maybe to inspect her. As he did she could pick out his turquoise-colored eyes, and boy, were they _brilliant_. A pair of diamonds fitted into his sockets.

_Hey, this isn't so bad_.

"Oi, Gaara, she's totally out of it," said the same voice from above her, the young Kazekage's lips still motionless. (_Maybe he's a ventriloquist for a job on the side_, Kagome considered seriously.) "Look at how she's drooling! And that creepy look in her eyes—anyway, we need to get her under some shade, fast; it'll be bad if Kumo's representative dies on us here. That fickle nation definitely won't hesitate to point fingers at us."

"You're right. Place her inside Kuroari where she'll have protection from the sun."

_Wait, that's the Kazekage's voi—huh?_

"Got it."

Everything became clearer, and the strange hotness distorting her vision evaporated.

The tattoo on Gaara's forehead fell back into his skin, disappearing from view, and his complexion developed interesting purple stripes. His skin was tanner. He had an eccentrically styled hood on his head that made him out to possess black cat ears. Just when Kagome was about to tell the young man that he had an interesting fashion sense, she felt her body get lifted into the air by strong arms, and—

She screamed.

Then slapped the revealed _Kankurou_.

He yelped, dropping her.

It was all but a blur as Kagome was secured mid-way in her fall by a bed of sand.

"Kagome-san—"

And she found herself staring into the eyes of the _real deal_.

The enamored woman hardly even heard Kankurou's heated complaints as she locked gazes with the Kazekage.

_Yeah_… _this is pretty darn nice._

Shortly after, she fainted from dehydration.

* * *

><p><em>Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I could be wrong.<em>

—Terry Pratchett

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Hope that was satisfactory for you, Kitty! Next up is a Rock Lee-centric chapter for Midlina, and then I intend to begin posting up the "7 Deadly Sins."


	49. xlvix — workout

At Midlina's request. Hope you enjoy, dear!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, and I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

xlvix — workout

"How about it, Higurashi-san? Do you feel the _burn _of _youth_?"

Kagome's face was contorted with simultaneous pain and determination as she forced her cramping legs to keep moving along.

"Yeah," she shouted with a sharp intake of breath, "I sure do, Lee!"

"At this excellent rate, you'll be in that desired shape of yours _days _before your wedding!"

"I… I hope so!" Huff, puff, and repeat.

The soles of their feet stamping on the ground in a vicious, never-ending cycle was the only comfort Kagome had available for her ears. Lee yelling out boisterous words of encouragement to her wasn't exactly a source of comfort. If anything it only made her work harder and jog faster, which could be either a good _or _bad thing.

And if Rock Lee was out exercising this early in the morning, at the break of dawn, then of course—

"My fine pupil!" Gai's baritone exclaimed from behind the pair as he quickly caught up to them. "And what's this, Higurashi-san as well?"

"Gai-sensei! Higurashi-san is utilizing the power of youth to appear at her optimum for her wedding!"

"_Ohhh_?" Gai's mouth formed a perfect 'o' as he grinned wildly, a twinkling in his eyes that just _couldn't _mean fair news for Kagome.

"Wait," Kagome interrupted with another huff, "before you start getting any ideas, Gai—"

"Well then, we must do everything in our power to assist her in her goal, should we not, Lee?"

"Hai, Gai-sensei! I wholeheartedly agree!"

Then the two like-minded and near-identical shinobi, jogging on either side of Kagome, each grabbed one of her arms and began sprinting forward in impossible speeds.

"Sttttooooooooppppp!" Kagome managed out, her gums getting slapped and dried by the wind as the skin of her mouth ran back against her teeth.

"For _youth_!" the two chorused elatedly.

Kagome swore if a bug got in her throat, choked her and killed her before her wedding date, she would rise back up from her grave and sue these two lunatic shinobi.

_After _she strangled them.

* * *

><p><em>That so few now dare to be eccentric, marks the chief danger of the time.<em>

—John Stuart Mill

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Psst, hey… I'll give you a hint for the next upcoming chapter. _Kiba_ & the theme _pride. _


	50. l — 7ds: pride

1/7.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

l — 7 deadly sins: pride

"Why can't you just say sorry?" Kagome screamed, pumping her fists past her head.

"Because it wasn't my fault!" Kiba hollered back in her face, his teeth bared in an irate canine-esque fashion.

"Yes, it was! You were the one who knocked it off the table and broke it!"

"Well, maybe you should have considered the possibility of that damn vase being tipped over and falling off before putting it there! What's with the bright idea, keeping it on the _kitchen__ table _of all places where people come and go all throughout the day?"

"If you were naturally more _civil_, Kiba-kun, and not always _bouncing around everywhere in the house like a wild animal_, this would never have happened!"

A third individual, the silent and nervous spectator to their argument, winced as Kiba's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"That's it," Kiba growled.

Kagome was shooting him a dubious look as she said, "What?"

"Where's that other fucking vase?"

"Hey, _no_!"

The two went racing to the bathroom, yelling and cursing and shoving at each other. It wasn't long until Naruto began hearing the catastrophic sounds of various furniture pieces crashing and bashing into each other and the walls.

"O-oi, you two! You're not the only ones living here you know!" the blond Jinchuuriki called to the dynamic pair as he scurried after them.

What the hell was he thinking when he decided to take them in as his roommates?

* * *

><p><em>"Be yourself, don't take anyone's shit, and never let them take you alive."<em>

—Gerard Way

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Next, is _Sai_ and _greed_.


	51. li — 7ds: greed

2/7.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

li — 7 deadly sins: greed

Three dark-haired children sat together down on the grass, each holding assorted art supplies. The one whom was obviously the eldest out of the trio, a kind-eyed astute male with a large white poster board in his arms, maintained a watchful eye on the other two, keeping tabs on their current ongoing transaction.

"So three color pencils for a color marker," said Kagome adorably, repeating the same line to herself as she picked out her tools to trade. From her little opened box she drew out the colors she was least fond of: white, brown, and gray. Reason being, white didn't even show up on the paper; brown was so dull in comparison to the bright, spunkier shades such as pink and orange; and gray was way too duhpress-depriss—_depressing_. She extended her plump fist to Sai, the sharp ends of the pencils sticking up to the sky.

Sai made a show of counting the colored pencils one by one with a stubby index finger, his mouth set in a regal line.

"Nope."

Kagome's happy expression twisted to that of dramatic shock. "No?" she squeaked.

"I said _four _color pencils for one color marker. This is _three_," said Sai with his nose high up in the air, crossing his arms. "You're trying to cheat me, Kago-chan."

"Am not! You said three, I know you did!"

The eldest of the trio, Shin, sighed and leaned forward to the smaller children. He knew this had been coming from the start. Not Sai _nor _Kagome ever played fair, and whether it was one or both trying to cheat the other in their newest trade, it always ended up with him intervening and saying:

"Okay, munchkins, calm down. Let's not be greedy."

* * *

><p><em>Avarice, the sphincter of the heart. <em>

—Matthew Green

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Next, is _Minato_ and _lust_.


	52. lii — 7ds: lust

3/7.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lii — 7 deadly sins: lust

"Kushina's going to kill you—_us_—when she finds out," Kagome whispered, breathless.

Minato silenced her mouth with his, pulling away momentarily to murmur, "Can't we talk about the complications _after_?" He dropped his head to nibble gently along her exposed collarbone, swaying her in her reluctance with his deft actions. Kagome didn't have it in her to retort with a fiery response, and instead merely raked across the surface of his desk with her nails. The wretched sound made the man smile.

"_Hokage-sama_," the raven hissed, "I swear you're going to be the end of us…"

* * *

><p><em>Love begins with an image; lust with a sensation.<em>

—Mason Cooley

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Next, is _Suigetsu_ and _wrath_.


	53. liii — 7ds: wrath

4/7.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

liii — 7 deadly sins: wrath

"Just you wait, Kagome-_chan_," hissed a floating pair of violet eyes, "as soon as I get myself free, you're dead meat. And I mean the meat part. I'll dice you up into fat, chunky cubes then stuff you in here whole." Suigetsu's voice was distorted as it broke through water and the glass confines of his makeshift prison.

Not letting the prospect of the threat get to her, Kagome waved an admonishing finger in front of the tall jar set on her bookshelf.

"Well in that case Suigetsu, I guess timeout for you is going to last forever."

Suigetsu's eyes narrowed before sinking lowly to the bottom of the chakra-infused jar—a jar, he was trapped in a fucking _jar_—his liquified essence swirling around him in annoyance.

"…You're a bigger bitch than Karin."

Kagome's lips made up a broad smile that was anything but innocent.

* * *

><p><em>Beware the wrath of a patient adversary. <em>

—John C. Calhoun

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Next, is _Yahiko_ and _gluttony_.


	54. liv — 7ds: gluttony

5/7.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

liv — 7 deadly sins: gluttony

"You took two bites Yahiko!" Kagome waved her tiny fists at him in outrage.

"He did, I saw him," Konan confirmed with a frown that made her appear older than she actually was. "That is unfair, Yahiko. We all agreed to equal shares while passing it in a circle."

Nagato sighed long-sufferingly, and it wasn't because he was hungry.

Gulping down the gobs of spit-sodden bread in his mouth, Yahiko gave his three friends a tentative lopsided grin.

"Oh, did I? Sorry guys, guess I was a little hungrier than usual, hah."

To that Konan and Kagome said in unison, in identical flat tones:

"This is the fifth time this has happened."

* * *

><p><em>A boy's appetite grows very fast, and in a few moments the queer, empty feeling had become hunger, and the hunger grew bigger and bigger, until soon he was as ravenous as a bear. <em>

—Carlo Collodi

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Next, is _Kakashi_ and _envy_.


	55. lv — 7ds: envy

6/7.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lv — 7 deadly sins: envy

_That flawless complexion._

_That tiny waist._

_Those juicy, full looking lips._

_Those _knockers_! My God, what size does she wear? And do bras even come that huge?  
><em>

Kagome's face burned as she took in the provocative poster ad image above of the woman sprawled out for anyone's unobstructed viewing; yet she couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away. Beside her was an engrossed Kakashi bending down slightly to a display of the latest _Icha Icha Paradise _volumes to hit the market. She gave the man a furtive side glance, wishing in the back of her mind to have never agreed in the first place to come to this porno-advocating bookstore with him. To think such a place in Konoha existed, had been _built_. Perverts. Perverts everywhere.

Then a grueling thought hit her, and her eyes rolled back up in their sockets to the naked temptress.

_Does Kakashi like women like that__?_

* * *

><p><em>Jealous people poison their own banquet and then eat it.<em>

—Anonymous

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Next is _Itachi _and _sloth_.


	56. lvi — 7ds: sloth

7/7.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lvi — 7 deadly sins: sloth

"You're suddenly so lazy now Itachi."

He hummed a short, low tune in response.

Kagome grinned to herself as she blocked the sunshine from her eyes with her forearm. "What's the world coming to anyway?"

Itachi opened his eyes to study the simply radiant girl through his lashes.

_Let me enjoy my last moments here in Konoha with you, Kagome. _

* * *

><p><em>Sloth, not ill-will, makes me unjust. <em>

—Mason Cooley

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	57. lvii — succumb

Namikaze Minato

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lvii — succumb

He had her trapped beneath him, his palms planted on either sides of her shoulders and his knee between her legs. The mattress holding them up squeaked with a slight shifting of his weight. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed, and her fist was held over her rapidly rising and falling chest. Blond bangs covered his own eyes. And currently he was thankful for them as he couldn't bring himself to make direct eye contact with her. Things were spiraling out of control, fast. But he couldn't stop. Not now. The heat he had tried to suppress for so long would consume them both if he did.

"Say yes," Minato whispered coarsely. "Just say yes, Kagome."

* * *

><p><em><em>All these primary impulses, not easily described in words, are the springs of man's actions.<em>_

—Albert Einstein

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	58. lviii — dreammaker

Uchihaaa Sasukeee! Also, _RiceballNinja_, let's just say I have a secret stash! Hehe.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lviii — dreammaker

"You can make one wish," she whispered as her toes drew up toward the blackened, vortex-enveloped sky. "Anything, Sasuke. I can grant you any wish."

The sole Uchiha survivor gritted his teeth as he sought to maintain his grip on Kagome's hand. A sovereign force was pulling her away from the Earth, and away from him.

Damn him. Damn the one up there who called himself _God_. Damn him _to hell_!

No one would take her from him—not even a god.

Kagome tilted her head to the side, her form completely airborne and her legs floating above her torso. "Hurry, Sasuke…"

The otherworldly pull was growing stronger; God, impatient.

Her _hand_ was slipping from his, and he damned the sweat of his palms as much as he damned the god that dare take away his divine rose.

Now, her _fingers_…

With an unsound growl Sasuke leapt up and latched onto Kagome's form, causing her to cry out in sudden pain at the nails digging into her skin.

"No one," he hissed, "will ever steal you from me. _That is my wish, Kagome_."

As her eyes locked with Sasuke's Sharingan, she was afraid—

"You can't win against Him," Kagome murmured, her voice heavy with grievance.

—afraid _for_ _him_.

A smirk tweaked Sasuke's lips, the normally handsome facial gesture almost making him appear insane.

"I'll defeat anyone who comes between us Kagome—even your God!"

* * *

><p><em>Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.<em>

—Plato

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: "Most Heartful OSTs Ever: Sentou" by_ HDSounDI_ from Youtube. (I liked listening to that while typing this chapter!)


	59. lix — solargraphy

Featuring Kushina, Minato and Kagome.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lix — solargraphy

"Do you think he'll be all right now?" said Kushina at the precise moment her feet fell upon crisp golden grass.

She tilted her head back to gaze at the second arrival, whose heavier landing produced forth a slightly louder _crunch_.

"Our son will be just fine," Minato assured as he laid a hand on his wife's shoulder. She leaned in to the calming touch, a smile spreading on her lips.

"You're right. He's ours, after all. Like we always say."

Minato nodded, smiling as well. "Yes."

"Hey you two, quit making gooey eyes at each other!"

Both Kushina and Minato lifted their chins to the source of the voice, and they found Higurashi Kagome standing many yards away from them on The Golden Plains. She was leaning forward with her fists planted on her hips, a lighthearted grin on her face that shone brightly through the distance.

"C'mon, the group's been waiting for you guys for so long already," Kagome shouted animatedly with her hands cupping her mouth, "and the welcoming party's been ready for over fifteen years!" The raven-haired woman's laughter seemed to reverberate in the infinite space as she extended her arms before her. "Hurry up, slowpokes; we're not planning on waiting for another whole decade here!"

"To think, we even get an escort to our long delayed party," Minato mused aloud.

Kushina smirked. "Well, we better not keep her waiting any longer. If there was anyone with a temper to match mine, it was Higurashi."

The deceased couple traded knowing glances.

Then they smiled, and set off in a race to see who could claim one of Kagome's outstretched hands first.

_Everything would be fine._

_The Earth would keep spinning._

_The Sun would continue to rise._

_The World would open its heart to their boy._

_And if not…_

_Naruto had the power to take that heart for himself._

_He would be just fine.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>To understand your parents' love you must raise children yourself.<em>

—Chinese Proverbs

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Set after the time Naruto finally 'met' his parents through the remaining pieces of their soul within him.


	60. lx — camellia

A cute little moment featuring Sasori and Kagome which can definitely be associated with _MCS: Everlasting_.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lx — camellia

"Hold on."

Sasori went no farther than he already had, the sixteen-year-old chuunin held in place by the firm grip on his sleeve. The frown that had earlier managed its way to his lips was still present, and he opted to keep his eyes forward in lieu of turning back to face her. After the subtle yet definite dispute that had minutes prior taken place between them, he was not quite willing to reconcile with the girl just yet. Perhaps he would consider doing so at a later, more appropriate time, namely after his awaiting mission. Maybe.

"Just promise me," Kagome said in a low voice, "that this time you'll return safely."

A breath he hadn't realized he was holding finally spared his burdened lungs, and Sasori's tense shoulders lowered as he replied, "…I promise you, Kagome."

She released him.

"Good! I'll be waiting for you Sasori." The anger that had previously laden her tone was now detectable no more.

Sasori turned to her, and in doing so he found that Kagome had her hands held behind her. Her eyes were on him and uncertain, gentle, in their concerned gaze—carrying a secret message in them. _Don't ever scare me like that again. Okay?  
><em>

The ill feelings between them dispersed as Sasori smiled a small smile.

_I won't._

* * *

><p><em>Insincerity is always weakness; sincerity even in error is strength.<em>

—George Henry Lewes

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Why thank you everyone, I do appreciate your kind words.


	61. lxi — euterpe

Uchiha Izuna

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxi — euterpe

She pulled back, though the palms of her hands remained on his chest.

Izuna slowly opened his eyes, his half-lidded gaze soft as it held her. He then covered her hands with his own, gentle—as she knew him to be.

"Shinobi are also deserving of happiness," Kagome whispered.

They came together for their second kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.<em>

—Charlotte Whitton

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	62. lxii — goodnight

Deidara.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxii — goodnight

This couldn't be happening. No, scratch that. According to the excruciating burns traveling all through her body, originating from her disfigured shoulder, and countless stones and boulders blocking any light—it was definitely happening. Kagome was caved in, and she was far from alone. Unarguably however she was much better off than the man several feet away from her.

His back was to the wall and his head lolled forward, motionless. The hitai-ate wrapped around his forehead was a dull gleam of hopelessness in the night-like obscurity. Lines that would be red in daylight trickled down both corners of his mouth. From the waist down he was completely crushed. His own land and home had pulverized his legs and broken it into bloody fragments now buried beneath rocks.

Neither of them could have foreseen the fatal landslide that had interrupted their battle.

"Guess I got lucky this time," Kagome said.

The conscious Deidara's lips angled into a smirk. "Karma's a bitch, yeah."

"Even in a position like that, you still…" Kagome uttered a sound of disapproval. "Baka."

Deidara lifted his head to her.

"So what are you going to do now? There's no way for you to escape either, hmph."

* * *

><p><em>Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies.<em>

—Elie Wiesel

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	63. lxiii — goodnight II

Deidara.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxiii — goodnight ii

"What do you think you're doing, yeah?"

"Do me a favor? Close your mouth and sleep. I'm tired." Kagome bit on her tongue to try and withstand the agony of her shoulder. Sweat dampened the roots of her hair and her eyebrows furrowed together, yet she did her best to conceal these things. Through closed eyes she hoped Deidara would not turn his head to her and see the pain written on her face. She had settled down next to him, laying on her good side while clutching her wounded shoulder.

"Sleep? Stopping the blood flow of your shoulder would be the wiser initiative."

"Don't _say_ that—so arrogantly," Kagome said with difficulty, "as if… I don't know… already."

"Hm."

"…Let's just nap here. That would be… nice. Wake up later…"

"Kagome."

"Mm…?" Her voice was fading.

"Goodnight."

Kagome smiled, the tense lines around her eyes disappearing. "Deidara… goodnight."

* * *

><p><em>As memory may be a paradise from which we cannot be driven, it may also be a hell from which we cannot escape.<em>

—John Lancaster Spalding

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	64. lxiv — jupiter

There was a mishap on my part regarding chapter "lxii — goodnight," as I had replaced its prior content with the one of "lxiii — goodnight II." That error has now been fixed, so you guys can feel free to check it out if you haven't already. And this chapter features my favorite male Naruto character, Sasori!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxiv — jupiter

Sasori smiled, the slightness of his lips being the sole indicator of his amusement. His eyes were still cold, still haunted. Ghastly. They made Kagome anxious and she wished he would retreat back into his carapace. Even that wretched monster of a shell he used for his protection was not as terrifying as _this_. This menace in the form of a teenage boy with hollow eyes that spoke of blood-drenched years far beyond her childish imagination. Kagome's desire to flee amplified when the frigid hand on the lower half of her face tightened its grasp to a painful degree.

A distressed squeak spilled through her parted mouth. "S-stop! It hurts, it hurts…!" Kagome's eyes were shut tight as her smaller hands clawed at Sasori's one. No use. His skin wasn't that of a normal human's. Finally when his hold loosened just enough to alleviate her of the crushing sensation, her wary eyes cracked open.

Brilliant, unsullied grey-blue met death dealing blood-red.

_Is he going to kill me? _Kagome wondered as she gazed into the eyes of a true murderer. Desperate tears were beginning to gather.

"They truly are exquisite," he spoke at last, his smile widening in a way that would've had her cringing were she not already petrified. "Your _eyes_, girl."

Kagome's breath hitched in her throat.

"And they now belong to me."

The tears fell.

* * *

><p><em>Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.<br>_

—Steve Jobs

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Jupiter is the Roman God of Gates and Doors.


	65. lxv — barathrum

Naruto, oh Naruto.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxv — barathrum

"Kagome-chan, don't do this," Naruto cried over the demonic winds, his hold on the plateau's edge slipping. "There's gotta be another way! You don't have to sacrifice yourself!" The unseen forces of hell were spiteful and grew stronger to quiet him. Soon enough the boy would be blown away, far from the rift that had torn open between the two worlds. Far from harm.

A short distance ahead of him, her arms spread wide in welcome, was Kagome seemingly unaffected by the winds. Instead of opposing her as they were of Naruto they were circling her form as transparent wisps. The invisible hands of the underworld caressed her, embraced her, asking for her to enter the dark realm from whence they both came.

"Naruto-kun," she said as she moved closer to the broadening vortex, "did you know…?"

"KAGOME-CHAN!"

"That devils never cry. At least, not the same way as humans." When there remained but one step between her and total oblivion Kagome turned to the despairing boy. Streaks of red ran down her pallid cheeks with more blood welling up in her eyes. "I won't forget you."

Naruto lost his grip, and as he went flying his scream echoed in the valleys. "_KAGOME-CHAAAAAN_!"

"This world will not be erased by you," Kagome whispered as her body began to emit an ethereal glow, a black bow materializing in her hand. "I'll stop that destruction, Naraku."

She walked into her final battle.

* * *

><p><em>I'm a warrior for light. <em>

—Thomas Kincade

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Who better than Naraku for the 'final boss'?


	66. lxvi — succumb II

'Cause Naruto's daddy is just as awesome! And we all love dat fictional drama.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxvi — succumb II

"Yondaime-sama."

Her voice was devoid of emotion, of its usual heartiness. To make matters worse she slipped a white envelope onto his desk, and Minato dreaded having to read the neatly calligraphed words on its cover. He already knew what this letter was. What it meant. The blond Hokage said nothing, his eyes glued to the inconsequential paperwork currently undergoing his scrutiny.

Minato's office was deathly quiet for some time until he spoke at last. "Why?"

"Sango-chan's offered to come by and pick up my final paycheck for me. So if you don't mind, I would appreciate it being available as soon as possible, maybe within the next few da—"

"_Why_?" Minato repeated, louder. He raised his head and set his eyes on hers.

Kagome was undeterred as she held his intense gaze, and after what seemed a moment of contemplation she dipped into a low respectful bow. "I officially resign, Yondaime-sama."

Then she turned to leave.

Minato shot up from his chair, his palms flat on the surface of his desk. "Wait, Kagome. If you're doing this because of my mistake—"

_Kushina, Minato_…!__

_Say yes. J__ust say yes, Kagome._

"—because of what I did, don't. What I asked of you that evening was completely out of line. I don't know what got into me, and I apologize for my actions." He bowed to the woman, remorseful. "I ask for your forgiveness not as the Hokage, but as Namikaze Minato."

Kagome spun sharply to face the shinobi once more, her eyes wet and glistening.

"Minato—" She was interrupted by the door to the office being swung wide open.

"Minato!" Kushina sang aloud, her euphonious voice and the smell of the packaged to-go ramen in her arms inappropriate and intrusive in the heavy atmosphere. "I thought you might be overworking yourself again so I brought you lunch, and we can—oh, Kagome-chan?" She stepped beyond the door frame.

"Please excuse me," Kagome whispered as she hastily walked past Kushina out the door, her bangs shielding her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong with her?" Kushina craned her neck back with a puzzled expression. "She's seriously been avoiding me like hell these past few days. Do you know anything, Minato?"

The young Hokage, now standing erect with his arms hanging down, shook his head as no. "… Afraid not."

His girlfriend clicked her tongue and turned her head forward, shaking it. "To think Kagome and I used to be good friends in our academy days, and now she ignores me. Hmph!" Kushina's annoyance soon dissipated when she remembered the aromatic food in her possession. Her eyes lit up and she grinned. "Ne, ne, why don't you take your break now? I'll eat with you."

"All right, Kushina." Minato deftly organized all the paperwork into a neat pile, sticking Kagome's resignation letter somewhere in the unseen middle. Then he went to retrieve an extra chair, and the couple settled down together at his desk for lunch.

.

.

.

"… Is the ramen no good?"

"It's delicious, as always. Why do you ask?"

"I've never seen you looking so upset while you eat it, that's why."

"A-ah… I see."

"Minato, is something the matter?"

"I… I am an unworthy man, Kushina…"

* * *

><p><em>Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.<em>

—Albert Einstein

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Now off to bed I go. Church in the morning and a 9 hour shift at work! If anyone particularly enjoys this, let me know and I will plot up a few more chapters for it. Goodnight!


	67. lxvii — succumb III

Minato is as popular as always. Though in my opinion Sasori is cooler, just Saiyan! (High five if you got that overused DBZ reference.)

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxvii — succumb III

Kagome closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, the warmth of the water mollifying her. The rigidity in her muscles unfurled as she sank lower into the bathtub, and she continued doing so until only her neck and head were exposed to humid air. Many thoughts raced through her mind, some of them too stressful to be entertaining during an hour of relaxation. Hair that was lush and flaxen, the golden petals of a sunflower, flashed behind her eyes. Then a determined blue gaze, true as a midsummer day's sky. The smell of the woodlands laced with a personal masculine edge stimulated her nostrils. It was a phantom aroma just like the images she was seeing, but it made her restless nonetheless. All these wonderful things, the Yondaime Hokage possessed. He was the sunflower, the sky, the forest. Namikaze Minato.

She submerged herself completely, willing the heat to rob her of her thoughts.

—

Lowering his fingertips from his nose, Minato frowned as he studied the blood on them. There were several blots of red staining the parchment of paper he had been about to initial. He tilted his head back, pinching the soft part of his nose. A heavy throbbing then came along in his skull causing the man to wince. His pained eyes flicked over to the clock on his wall. It was three strokes past midnight. He hadn't even realized.

It had seemed a good idea at first to lose himself in his work. At least then he wouldn't have to _think_.

* * *

><p>If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered.<p>

—Edgar Allan Poe

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: … More to come?


	68. lxviii — thanatos

This one features the appearance of Tobi… err, Madara… or whoever!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxviii — thanatos

A quivering hand rose to cradle a head of raven locks. The teenage girl rocked back and forth in her kneeled position, crippled by her migraines. The scene before her was too much to bear. Sweltering flames lay in wake of her decimated village, and there were motionless, dead corpses sprawled everywhere. She couldn't bear to see their barren eyes again. There was a great terror they had seen during the last few instances of their lives. She didn't know what, but she should have seen it with them. She should have died fighting alongside her kin, and guilt ate away at her from the inside. While she had been off enjoying herself in the remote woods, everyone… everyone she knew…

"Another tragedy, isn't it," said a composed voice behind her.

The girl's long hair flew as she whipped her head back. Her puffy eyes narrowed in a glare as she took in the form of a man garbed in black and red. A bizarre swirly orange mask covered his face.

"Who are you?" she demanded gratingly, her throat hoarse from all her weeping. If he was the one who had destroyed her village, she would be _sure _to make him pay.

The man outstretched both arms sideways as if to show he was harmless. "Just a passing stranger."

If he didn't look so goofy she would have called him out on a lie. Her eyes darkened.

"I see… You thirst for revenge." The man sounded pleased.

In response the adolescent's shoulders sagged and she turned her head forward. It hung low in defeat and she was without words.

"I may be able to help you," he supplemented casually, "in finding the vanquisher of your village, and allowing you to kill him with your own hands."

The girl stared into the flames devouring her home, her red-cracked eyes throbbing all the way to her temples.

"What do you want in return…?" she said softly.

He clapped his hands together, delighted. "You're a smart child! That will certainly make things easier for us. I only wish for you to serve under me, and no other."

The girl covered her eyes with the palm of her soiled hand, sobbing once more.

"I am a reasonable man, so I'll permit you enough time to mourn over your brethren. You have three days. Be ready for me."

He was gone when she turned around, making her wonder for a brief moment whether the whole event had been a hallucination. But then she knew it wasn't, because of the item that lay in place where the mysterious man had stood. It was yellow-brown aged paper rolled up and kept tied with a red string.

A contract.

* * *

><p>Does the world have nothing inside but sorrow?<p>

—Andrei Platonov

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Thanatos is the daemon personification of death in Greek mythology.


	69. lxix — goodbye II

For my wonderful and cute little e-sister, thyme spirit. :) Much love!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxix — goodbye II

_Genma to be honest with you, I'm tired of waiting. I have feelings for you, I always did. And you told me you liked me too. Or was that a lie?_

_You know I never lie. _

_Then why won't you ask me out already? I don't get it!_

_Do we have to be in a relationship for our feelings to be validated?_

_Genma…_

_Hey! Kagome, hold on. Don't cry!_

_N-not crying. Baka…!_

_Okay. Here's what… Flip this coin. Heads, and I'll ask you out. _

_What if I get tails? You won't?_

_Flip it. _

_… Hrm, fine… Hey! I got heads!_

_Well then, Miss Kagome… will you go out with me?_

_Haha! I can't believe you. Deciding this on a coin toss!_

_I'm going to assume those are tears of joy. _

_You jerk, Genma! Hahaha!_

_And I take that as a yes._

_Yes, yes!_

Genma downed another shot of the potent liquid, heaving a sigh as the shot glass lowered from his lips. He absently examined the rich lacquer of the bar top's surface, eyes hard and unfocused. Even the lovely voice of the pub's songstress was unable to appease the downpour of emotions in his heart. All it did was remind him of Kagome and how she used to sing lullabies to him while he rested his head on her lap. That had often been the reason he swore to keep himself alive in missions. So he could return home and fall asleep under a tree in the park, with Kagome leaning over him, stroking his hair and lulling him into a blissful slumber. There would be the perpetual noise of children playing in the background, and Kagome's light perfume tickling his nose. He had always secretly adored her smell…

"You look like you need a good smoke," said a familiar voice from the side.

Genma glanced askance before reverting his sights to the bar top. "Yo, Asuma."

The other jounin took a seat on the stool next to his and drew two cigarettes from his carton. "Here," he said, offering it to Genma. "It's on me."

"Thanks."

"Pretty depressing night. Mind if I join you for drinks?"

Genma gave a noncommittal shrug as he traded out his senbon for a cigarette. "I'll be here awhile."

"Good. Me too."

* * *

><p>You don't die from a broken heart, you only wish you did.<p>

—Anonymous

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Even Asuma's got to deal with trouble in paradise.


	70. lxx — goodbye III

For you, Emily. I was happy to be able to catch you on Skype tonight. :)

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxx — goodbye III: winter sleep

Kagome wiped the sweat off her brows with her forearm, plopping back on the carpeted floor to rest. She had spent the last several hours unpacking and sorting out her new apartment, and doing so alone had been a more difficult task than she had anticipated. There were still enough boxes remaining to ensure that she wouldn't be going to sleep for another while. Her eyes flickered to a table clock set haphazardly on the ground, and she sighed when she realized how late it was.

_Two in the morning. No wonder I'm getting cramps_, Kagome thought as she rubbed her sore neck. For a brief moment she wondered what Genma was doing. He was more of the nocturnal type, and often when they had still been living together she would wake up in the middle of the night to catch him eating cereal or reading. Among other things, at which point Kagome realized she shouldn't be thinking of the man. It wasn't like she was still with him. She shook her head from side to side to repel the memories, and braced herself with renewed vigor as her fists rose. "_Yosh_! One more box, and I'll head to bed. Then the rest tomorrow morning. Let's do this, Higurashi."

She bounced up from her seat on the floor and stretched her body for a good measure. While lifting her arms toward the ceiling, however, Kagome was interrupted by a sharp knock at her door.

The raven-haired woman jumped with a little 'eep', surprised by the noise. "Now who the heck—"

"_Kagome_!"

Kagome froze on the spot, her wide eyes affixed to the door.

"Open this door, Kagome!" The banging grew louder.

Kagome took an instinctual step backward, the desire to flee evident in her. "G-Genma?" she whispered, her fist placing itself before her pounding heart.

"I already know," he spoke from outside, the volume of his voice escalating. "I know you're in there. Open the door!"

_What's wrong with him__?_ Kagome wondered with a frown as she straightened her form. _Is he drunk?_

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR BEFORE I BREAK IT DOWN!"

With a terrified expression Kagome instantly scurried over to the door. She made to reach for its knob, but stopped when it was a millimeter within her grasp. Kagome's face hardened.

"Go home Genma," she said in a stern tone, withdrawing her hand to her side.

"Kagome, I want to talk. Let's _talk_."

"You're drunk. You wouldn't be acting like this if you weren't. Go home." Kagome bit on the bottom of her lip, tempted to give in and let the man inside. _No_, she reminded herself, _it's over. We ended it. _I_ ended it, so how can I ask back for it? I can't._

"Listen to me… _listen _to me, Kagome," he pleaded from the other side, his fingernails scraping at the barrier between them. They produced a dull noise against the refined wood material. "I just want to talk with you. Is it so difficult?"

Kagome blinked back the tears, and she snapped, "I don't even want to see you as you are right now! Aren't you ashamed? What will my new neighbors think of me?"

"… I don't want it to end like this."

As the tears trickled down her face Kagome said nothing. She continued to be unresponsive to Genma as she walked away, with heavy steps, to turn off all the lamps in the living room. Then it was there, in pitch black darkness, that she crumbled to the floor with her back against a wall. Her body drew itself in to a fetal position.

"Go home," Kagome murmured wearily, her forehead dipping to her knees as her arms hugged her legs to her. "Go home already, Genma."

It was quiet for the next several minutes, and the silence continued for up to half an hour. Although she hadn't heard a sound of him moving, Kagome hoped Genma was now gone.

"… Do you remember that coin, Kagome?"

He was still there.

"The one you tossed. You tossed it and I asked you out. Remember?"

Waiting outside her door.

"No matter how you did it, the result would always have been the same."

Why wouldn't he go, why wasn't he leaving her alone…?

"I rigged it." A deep, intoxicated chuckle came from him.

Kagome hugged herself tighter, willing her eyes to stay shut.

"Both sides of that coin were heads." He was beginning to sob now, his voice hoarse and thick. "…I made sure of it."

"Stop… please, stop," Kagome whispered, hot tears sliding past her cheeks.

She couldn't open that door. She had promised herself. This was the best, for them. For him.

"I love you, Kagome."

* * *

><p>Can you hear me out there? Will you hold me now…?<p>

—Olivia Lufkin

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Not all love ends happily. Not all love is good, bad, self-sacrificing, selfish. Love is hardly ever linear.


	71. lxxi — ashes

kjnv, I'm happy that you enjoyed _g__oodbye_ so much! I thank you for that. However, I won't be continuing it as I intended to leave it on a sad — and mysterious — note. As for this chapter, it is a mini-story that features Kakuzu and the life he had nearly seventy years ago. It was supposed to be about maybe 500 words, but somewhere along the way I couldn't help but lose myself in the story. So, here is this 1,800+ word piece that was not quite big enough to be placed in _My Courageous Shinobi_.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxxi — ashes

He had not always been such a man.

One so wicked and infatuated with worldly possessions; wielding five beating, living hearts, while at the same time owning none of them — not even his own.

There was a time when he had been a simple man, a shinobi, one who fought for the honor and prosperity of his village and loved ones. And there had been a woman; warm, gentle, soft. His greatest pleasure had not been in murdering and harming others for monetary gains. No… back then, he would be content just to rest his head against her bosom and listen to the steady thumping of her single heart. He would allow her to envelop him in her frail arms and gather his battle-worn body to hers.

_Whenever you need me, I'll always be here,_ she would murmur to him, her voice a sweet balm for his soul. _Under this tree where we first met. _Then he would rise anew the next morning, a phoenix, ready to resume life as a shinobi.

He had not always killed in cold blood.

She would routinely trace her fingers over the numerous scars adorning his arms, chests, and legs. _I like them_, she had said once with a smile, _because they show how bravely you've fought for our village. _After that, he no longer felt any shame over the marring of his body. He sloughed off the many layers of dark cloth and proudly displayed the scars wherever he went.

It wasn't long until he realized it was not the village which he fought for.

It became clear, irrevocable, that the village meant _nothing _to him when she became ill with a mysterious sickness. At first it began with a shy cough behind her fist, progressing through various more stages until one day she collapsed on him during their excursion to the market. He realized too late that what she had claimed a "passing sickness" was no such thing, especially when it came to be that she could no longer get out of bed without assistance lest she crumble to the floor.

He begged the village leader, and then the village elders.

_Save this woman_…_ __Please, save this woman!_

They refused; they claimed there was no time for inconsequential matters when a likely war between the nations was brewing up. _Taki__ is financially unstable as it is, Kakuzu. Do you truly believe we have money on the side to spend researching a bedridden civilian's disease? _Some of them even laughed, finding his request preposterous — a joke. The elders may have deigned to accept helping her, had she been a kunoichi with singular, exceptional ability or skill. But she wasn't. She was just the woman he loved, and to them she was another faceless person residing in their village. When all seemed lost he lowered himself to the floor, onto his knees. He pressed his forehead and palms to the ground and implored them once more.

_Then assassinate the Shodai Hokage. If you wish to save this woman, bring the head of the Hokage into this room. Only then, will we heed your request, Kakuzu.  
><em>

He accepted their proposal. Two weeks later he came back to Taki, bloody and battered… and a failure.

Following his aborted attempt, the aggression between Konoha and Taki increased tenfold. He had always known that he was an apt shinobi, he proved it countless times on the battlefield. But the mission the elders had dispatched him on had been nothing short of a suicide mission. They had sent him to infiltrate Konohagakure and die in the process. And he had returned, to their veiled displeasure, with his life intact. Along with a new scar he hoped to be able to show his beloved later. It was one left by a kunai, running horizontally across the lower half of his face, lined perfectly with the split of his lips. He would be sure to tell her an amazing, elaborate story of how it came to be.

Yet, all too soon he learned the truth behind the elders' action of sending him to Konoha.

_He has grown… feeble, would the rest of you not agree?_

_Who's to say he wouldn't betray us should another village offer a cure for his lover?_

_Quite so. In these precarious times, we cannot risk having one of our own turn on us._

_Kakuzu poses a risk to us. He has become shaken. _

_His purpose has been outlived. _

_We have made it clear to Konoha on which side we stand, as planned._

_The village must be rid of him, he is a potential threat._

_I agree._

_As do I._

_Yes, we will dispose of him. _

They had never intended to look into the unidentified illness that plagued his woman. With that, an indescribable rage filled him. It was like fire, so hot and unmanageable, and boiling his veins from the inside out. This newfound fury was what made him able to learn the obscure hidden jutsu of his village. The ability to extend his own life by stealing the hearts of his opponents, along with their intrinsic elements. He killed the conspiring elders, and the village immediately branded him as a criminal and traitor. However, his newly obtained powers and vast control over the Jinogu jutsu kept the many hunter-nin at bay.

Kakuzu vanished, though distant rumors, along with the Bingo Book, noted of a formidable shinobi who hunted men for the massive bounty on their heads. They also spoke of the legion of scars and wounds he had hidden under his many layers of cloaks. The physical description of the missing-nin Kakuzu continually changed from one thing to another, though they all implied _monster_.

* * *

><p>"How is she faring?"<p>

The black hood lowered itself in the night, revealing a brunette with matching brown eyes. "Kagome-chan hasn't gotten much better, but her health hasn't regressed, either. Kaede-sama grows weary as well, and I'm afraid it won't be long until she passes on." Sango frowned deeply, though the concern on her face wasn't from meeting with a traitor of her village in the middle of the night. "What can we do…?"

Kakuzu's right arm suddenly lifted, and Sango flinched.

"Give me your hand," he said.

She did, and he dropped a vile of honey-yellow liquid on her palm. The moonlight reflected off the glass, giving it a majestic shine. Sango's eyes widened.

"Is this… Did you really find—" Sango stopped herself, took a composing breath, shook her head and smiled. "Getting this antidote must have cost a fortune."

Kakuzu's eyes glowed in the night, and they flickered to a spot in the distance before reverting back to Sango.

"Go," he commanded, "the patrol will soon arrive in this area."

Sango looked up at him and nodded.

"Don't ever let yourself get caught, Sango. I won't forgive you if you do." His words sounded so calm, and yet there was an underlying malice that the woman could not ignore.

"I won't."

* * *

><p>Kagome sighed as she carefully lowered herself down against the tree's bark, leaning against it for support as she descended. She sat down in a spot between its massive roots, her hands reaching out to feel the rough textures. For a woman who had been chained to her bed for over a year, it was unbelievable just to be outside again.<p>

Sango had brought her foreign medicine, urging her to try something else other than Kaede's concoctions. Kagome hadn't missed how Kaede's eyes narrowed in what might have been suspicion, but the withered old woman turned her head and feigned deafness. Too weak to even hesitate, Kagome had allowed Sango to help her up and tilt past her lips one-third of the contents in the vial.

The next day she was able to function normally. Move on her own again. She had jumped for joy, screaming.

_This antidote's effect isn't permanent, Kagome-chan_, Sango had said with an apologetic softness in her eyes, _but it'll keep your symptoms at bay. You only need to take a new dose every three days, and I'm sure that soon enough… Well, soon enough we'll be able to figure out what's wrong with you. _The brunette had wiped furiously at her eyes before continuing in a cracked tone. _Miroku and Inuyasha are still out there trying to figure out your sickness. And now that they've discovered this medicine for us you won't have to deal with the pain anymore. Not as long as you take it._

Kagome's face had darkened with horror, and desperation made her voice thick as she asked, _Only if I take it? W-what if I can't? You mean I'll have to go back to—_

Sango had silenced her by forcing her into a tight hug.

_Don't even think about it. Don't even think about going back to that state, Kagome-chan! You don't have to anymore, the antidote will be available for you as long as you need it! He'll make sure of it! _As the brunette had wept into her shoulder and Kaede gazed out the window with a pensive look, Kagome couldn't help but wonder. He? Hadn't she meant both Inuyasha and Miroku? … Were they really the ones who had sent her the antidote?

While reflecting over the memory, Kagome fell asleep against the tree.

"Kakuzu…" she mumbled in her pre-dreaming state, "is it you?"

* * *

><p>"Kakuzu… is it you?"<p>

When he heard his name, the man stiffened.

He permitted himself to relax when he heard a light snoring from the opposite side of the tree. The shinobi leaned back against the bark, smiling under the black cloth covering his mouth.

"So you can walk on your own again," he said softly, careful not to awake her with his voice. "Good. Enjoy your life, be happy. Your health won't hold you back any longer. Not as long as _I_ live." He ran his fingers along the scar on the bottom half of his face, and there was a thoughtful pause of silence before he decided something. "But before I leave, there's one story left that I haven't told you. About this scar."

A little smile painted itself on the sleeping Kagome's face.

"Listen closely woman, because I'll only tell it once…"

* * *

><p>Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.<p>

—James M. Barrie

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Yes, this took place _long _before Akatsuki was even a thought in a certain someone's brain. Let's just say that in this particular universe, Kakuzu started doing what he did for a noble reason. Then he lost his way decades later and became the avaricious bounty hunter that he is now.


	72. lxxii — lacrimosa

Lately I've become obsessed with _Neopets _again… In other news, it's my birthday this Friday and I'm heading with my boyfriend to Sea World!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxxii — lacrimosa

Her delicate features crinkled into a light wince, and Kagome drew back her hand to examine the pricked finger. Red blossomed on her fingertip.

"Careful, my dear," Tobi chided as he swept her hand up to his eye for inspection. "Don't you know? Roses have thorns."

Kagome tilted her chin away, abashed. "Sorry."

"No need for that, we all make senseless mistakes now and then," Tobi said as he began to lift up his mask with his free hand. "This too can be remedied, as easily as any other minor error."

Kagome dropped the rose out of shock when she felt Tobi's soft lips on her blood tipped finger.

* * *

><p>May you live all the days of your life.<p>

—Jonathan Swift

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Taking requests once again. Send 'em in!


	73. lxxiii — purgatory V

Updates may be sporadic!

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxxiii — purgatory V

"Don't look now, Kagome-hime, but that warrior can't take his eyes off of you!" Sango whispered into her ear.

Kagura's full lips drew downward in a frown. "Tch! Such insolence, staring so freely at the hime. Has he no manners?"

"Uptight as usual, aren't we, Kagura," Sango intoned with a roll of her eyes.

"I am merely stating my observation," said the woman loftily, producing a fan from the inside of her kimono. She snapped it open and began to fan herself with polished movements of the wrist. "Besides, Sango, even you must be aware that—"

As her two maids conversed — _bickered_ — amongst themselves, Kagome peeked in the direction they had been suggesting. There was indeed a man standing ankle-deep in the emerald grass, studying her intently. His fighting attire instantly gave him away as being a shinobi in her father's empire, and his features felt rather _familiar _to her. He had immaculate porcelain skin that had yet to be tarnished by the sun's powerful rays nor ruined by blade, and in contrast to that, coal eyes that reflected no light. The black hair that rested on top of his head and framed his sculpted face was short and choppy. His lips tweaked at her in a reserved, polite smile.

After a second's hesitation, Kagome returned the smile.

"Let us go, hime," Kagura spoke abruptly, placing a gentle yet domineering hand on her elbow, "your father, our Lord, is soon to arrive. We must have you groomed before he does."

Sango assumed her customary position at the princess's other side, also taking hold of an arm. "I wonder what land he has succeeded in conquering this time?" she pitched in.

As they more or less dragged her away, Kagome turned her head to see the warrior once more. He was there, still.

_Bye_, she mouthed.

At first he appeared surprised, but then the young man lowered himself into a slight bow.

* * *

><p>"Nii-san!"<p>

Madara set down the stick of charcoal in his hand onto the table, turning his head to greet his younger brother as the latter entered their homely abode. "Izuna," Madara said with a smile, body turned halfway to the entrance of the hut.

The straw mat made a gentle noise as it swished down upon Izuna's passing, and the young man enthusiastically plopped down next to his brother.

"I saw her," Izuna said with a grin.

Madara arched a brow but when he saw Izuna's gaze flick to his artwork on the table, he could guess what this was about. "Saw whom?"

"Her," Izuna replied with a nod at his charcoal illustration. "The girl in your drawings."

Madara blinked. Then a deep chuckle emanated from his throat. "She is our hime, Izuna. You should refer to her with the proper respect."

The two brothers laughed and conversed in good cheer before preparing for the evening's supper.

* * *

><p><em>Age considers; youth ventures.<em>

—Rabindranath Tagore

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	74. lxxiv — evolution

Hi.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxxiv — evolution

"Tenshi…" A weak chuckle passed through Madara's open lips. "Mine… my tenshi…" His bloodied, torn arm lifted itself toward a horrified Kagome, his hand dangling uselessly off a disfigured wrist.

Kagome shrunk further behind Itachi's back, her eyes wide and fearful but unable to look at anything else but the fallen man in front of them.

"Itachi-kun," she whispered, almost whimpering.

Itachi readied the kunai in his hold once more, prepared to fight another round for the woman behind him.

"Tenshi. Tenshi. _Tenshi_," Madara repeated. He sounded a little more insane each time. "Tenshi. Tenshi. Tenshi—"

"Enough," Uchiha Itachi hissed at his undead ancestor: a man said to have perished decades ago. Itachi made a move forward, intending to finish off Madara.

A small hand on his arm stopped him.

"Itachi-kun…"

"Kagome-san, it'll all be over. Close your eyes."

"Iie."

Itachi turned to her, ready to question the woman and her new authoritative tone. The questions in his head multiplied when he saw that she was glowing a soft pink color all over her body. A long, sheer cloth materialized in the air, hanging off her arms and flowing behind her back elegantly.

"What is this, Kagome-san?" he asked, enthralled.

"I've regained the memories I lost when I descended into the human realm," she said with a sad smile, looking Itachi straight in the eyes. "Madara… my koibito, he's been searching for me this whole time." She tilted her head toward Madara, an endearing look present in her gaze.

Itachi was speechless.

"Arigatou, Itachi-kun."

She walked past him, leading a direct path to the crippled Uchiha Madara who was still reaching for her mindlessly.

Itachi balled his fists. "Kagome-san!"

* * *

><p>No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected.<p>

—Julius Caesar

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Oh boy. Hey guys. It sure has been a long time, hasn't it? I have no idea if Kagome-fanfics are still a thing. Is the fanbase still alive out here?


	75. lxxv — hypnos

Even though this is a late response, thank you for your reviews last chapter! It's always a good feeling to see familiar faces around here, and even new ones who are still with the fandom.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxxv — hypnos

Itachi had never slept well, even when they were both small children.

She remembered those many frustrating nights being woken up by a six-year-old boy, his black-stone eyes nearly blending in with the darkness. Itachi would gently nudge her awake, to which she would grumble incoherent words before turning away from the intrusive annoyance that was her night owl cousin. The boy would not stop there, of course. With the persistence of a driven weasel, Itachi would continue poking and prodding her until she exasperatedly snarled defeat.

_You do this every night! _she would growl, rubbing her groggy eyes.

With the help of the moonlight through her window she always spotted a little triumphant smile on Itachi's face.

_Because sleep will not come to me, every night, _the boy never failed to answer candidly.

Uninterestingly enough, there were no midnight shenanigans or exciting adventures the two undertook on such nights. Itachi had sneaked from his room to hers, in the dead of the night — _every night_ — for no particular reason at all. Sometimes they talked; whatever six-year-olds enjoyed conversing about, though Itachi's concerns usually differed from her own. He was more interested in 'boring' matters like whatever was going on in their clan as of late, or studying ahead for the academy they had yet to be enrolled in.

Most of the times he was content just to be in her presence, in the dimly lit room, for hours, and hours, and hours…

Often times she dozed off for a bit, and when she regained awareness Itachi would still be there.

This kept going on for years, and amazingly enough Itachi seemed to never get caught. Or maybe he did, but still managed to make it to her? She didn't know, she didn't think too much of it.

When they were around twelve-years-old, he stopped visiting her. Again she didn't think too much of it. Itachi was a jounin now, the youngest to ever achieve jounin, in fact. If anything she knew he must be swamped with duties; and here she was, still struggling to reach passing grade with her taijutsu!

Then, one day, Itachi was ANBU captain. At the age of _thirteen_.

It was hard to see even a passing glimpse of him in the Uchiha district, no less Konoha. He was always out. So she was always praying for her cousin; for his safe return each time.

Tonight, however, is different.

For once, sleep does not come to _her_.

_This is weird_, she thinks to herself, shifting underneath the covers. _Something is kinda off._

Her shoji door slides open, interrupting her thoughts. Itachi? She never heard him outside her room.

Of course.

"Kagome."

She turns to him with a fake glare set on her face, ready to reprimand him for disturbing her 'sleep' as she had frequently done years prior. Just out of habit. In truth, she feels happy he is here.

This evening, the moon chooses to light up a metal blade with its beam shining through the window. The bloodied weapon is all Kagome can focus on.

_Whose blood is that? Whose blood is that, Itachi? _

"… sleep still does not come to me," Itachi whispers his goodbye. There is a note of pleading in his voice.

He then helps deliver her into slumber with a precise, merciful swing of his sword.

* * *

><p><em>A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.<em>

—Charlotte Brontë

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: It's been so long since I've actually sat down and _written_-written. Leave a response and let me know if I'm doing okay, guys!


	76. lxxvi — mutuality

Uchiha rotation!: Izuna.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxxvi — mutuality

"You're so different compared to Madara-san, Izuna-kun," said Kagome, unable to hide the smile in her eyes even as her hand covered her upturned lips. "Very."

Izuna cocked a brow at her. "Pardon me, Kagome-hime, but I am my own individual. That would be like me comparing your person to Kikyou-sama."

Kagome's eyes widened, and her hand fell to her lap. Her expression turned to that of apologetic shame.

"Ah…" She paused to avert her gaze. "You're right, I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to say."

Izuna smiled kindly at the princess and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "All is well, Kagome-hime. Ever since my birth I have constantly been in my nii-san's shadow. I try my hardest to escape that. That's all."

Kagome's lips quirked knowingly. "I know that feeling."

* * *

><p><em>Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.<em>

—C. S. Lewis

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	77. lxxvii — mutilation

Uchiha rotation!: Madara

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxxvii — mutilation

"You're crazy. Kami, Madara, you're _crazy_!" Kagome fell to the forest floor in a broken heap of hopelessness. "Why, seriously… Where? Where does this madness _end with you_?"

Madara spared the delirious kunoichi but a few second's glance. Then he went back to nonchalantly washing his red-tainted hands in the flowing river.

"I believe I have told you many times — on five differing occasions, if I recall — that we may part ways and I will not ever come after you," obliged a baritone so smooth, unperturbed.

Kagome's fingers found their way into her hair, gripping black tendrils tightly. She could still hear the screaming; the despair of not just war-trained men but also innocent women and children. The broken woman sobbed.

"I can't," she choked out. "I want to. But I can't."

Madara kept his focus on the cleansing of his hands.

"I can't leave you."

* * *

><p><em>Find what you love and let it kill you.<em>

—Charles Bukowski

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


	78. lxxviii —wallflower

The goal is to write every night, however small or large the word count.

**Disclaimer: **I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxxviii —wallflower

"_Nani_?" Deidara nearly shouted aloud. "Say that one more time, un. You want me to help you _what_?"

Recovering from the harshness of his voice, Kagome redid her pout and clasped her hands together before the blond man. "You heard me."

"Hm…" Deidara turned his head to a cloaked figure in the farthest area of the dungeon. Red hair. _He_ was outside of his puppet shell tonight.

Kagome leaned closer to the bomb artist. "Help me get noticed, ne?"

"By _him_?"

"Hai," she said with an excited nod, "by Sasori-senpai."

* * *

><p><em>It's much easier not to know things sometimes.<em>

—Stephen Chbosky

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:


End file.
